RJD chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was taken on a chartered plane to Delhi on Tuesday evening after his health worsened.

The Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, where Lalu Prasad was undergoing treatment, on Tuesday morning constituted a medical board to review his health condition and decided to refer him to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Lalu Prasad, 73, convicted in a fodder scam case for which he had been awarded a 5-year jail in Ranchi on February 15, was sent to jail but then shifted to RIMS considering his poor health condition.

“The medical board decided to refer Lalu Yadav to a higher centre for better treatment after taking all aspects into consideration. The formalities are being completed and the jail officials were informed about the decision taken by the medical board and we believe that Lalu ji will be shifted to AIIMS as soon as the formalities are completed,” said RIMS director Dr Kameshwar Prasad.

The medical board found that his kidney condition was deteriorating.

“We have recommended shifting him to AIIMS New Delhi as he was sent there earlier. As you know, the aortic valve of his heart has already been changed and he is suffering from diabetes, due to which, his heart is unable to function properly. Now, since his kidney is also affected, the condition becomes critical,” said the RIMS director. His creatinine level is 4.6 (normally it should be less than 1) which is a cause of concern, he added.

The RJD chief, granted bail in four fodder scam cases and released from jail on April 30 last year, was sent to jail again after his conviction on February 15.