Buddhadeb refuses hospital treatment, returns home

Former West Bengal chief minister and veteran Marxist leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee refused treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata, where he was admitted three days back.

Doctors have not yet ruled him out of danger, but regaining consciousness the CPI(M) leader coaxed the five member medical team to send him back home.

“We had no other option but to release him,” said a doctor who attended him at Woodland Hospital in Alipore.

No party leader was allowed to take him back home. Bhattacharjee, with an oxygen pipe in his nose and with almost no vision in his eyes, returned home accompanied by his wife and daughter, only three days after his hospitalisation. 

On Sunday, doctors said his condition was stable, but insisted on keeping him in the hospital for a few more days as he needed oxygen, nebuliser, chest support treatment and even intravenous antibiotics.

“Now, all will be given at home,” said a doctor.

Bhattacharjee was admitted to the hospital on September 6 in semi-conscious state. His blood hemoglobin and blood pressure plummeted and he had difficulty to even breath. Bhattacharjee, a patient of COPD owing to heavy smoking, was given blood in the same night and the total level of carbon dioxide increased to higher than danger level. He was put under the intravenous antibiotics and was kept at CCU of the hospital. However, regaining full consciousness, Bhattacharjee asked party leaders not to come to hospital and create disturbance for other patients.

“He did not like anybody to meet him in the hospital. He was asking us not to create problem for other patients and their families,” said a central committee member of the party. However, senior politicians from the state, including BJP leaders, started flocking to the hospital.

On Monday, the former chief minister asked the doctors to release him immediately. But when doctors told him that he would need chest therapy, oxygen and nebuliser, Bhattacharjee said those would be arranged at home.

A senior doctor at Woodland hospital said, “He is stable. But his condition is not good.”

Bhattacharjee had earlier refused to take state government hospital treatment as desired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee herself had visited his home and requested him to take the state government's health care facilities. But he refused  that.

Bhattacharjee also refused his security despite the fact that his security level was categorised as Z-plus by the Union home ministry. In West Bengal, only two politicians are given as Z-plus security, with the other one being Mamata Banerjee. 

Two policemen visit Bhattacharjee regularly, but they leave his flat every day shortly after noon. 

“It’s very unfortunate that Buddha da is finishing himself like this. Till his last breath he would stick to his philosophy in life,” said a senior CPI(M) leader who was once very close to him.