Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, 76, stayed on ventilation on Thursday, but his pulse, blood pressure and cardiac condition are stable, and oxygen level in blood is normal, Woodlands Hospital sources said. He had been hospitalised on Wednesday with breathing problems.

A medical bulletin shared by his party said Bhattacharjee was “on sedation and ventilated, oxygen saturation is 95%”.

A Woodlands official added that both oxygen as well as carbon dioxide levels in his blood — an issue which had kept doctors worried since Wednesday — had improved and was normal. He also added that preliminary medical investigations and imaging did not show any “significant abnormality and his cardiac condition was currently stable”.

The medical board formed to treat Bhattacharjee met on Thursday morning to discuss on the next course of action. Bhattacharjee’s daughter Suchetana Bhattacharjee and CPM colleagues Surjya Kanta Mishra and Fuad Halim were present at the meeting.

“Sri Bhattacharjee will remain on mechanical ventilation for today and the process of gradual withdrawal of ventilator support is being planned,” the hospital official added.

“He (Bhattacharjee) is presently on IV fluids, IV antibiotics, IV steroids and other supportive medications. He is on Ryles tube feeding,” the hospital bulletin read.

A doctor treating Bhattacharjee said his condition was more critical this time than when he was hospitalised in 2018. “We had to put him on ventilation with the family’s consent yesterday (Wednesday). He is improving. Our next challenge is to safely bring him out of ventilation.”

A source in the CPM said that senior leaders were in constant touch with the hospital management and the doctors. Younger leaders from the SFI and DYFI are present at the hospital round the clock.