The health condition of actor Soumitra Chatterjee, currently on ventilator support, worsened further on Tuesday, and efforts were being made to boost his blood platelet count, a senior doctor at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment said.

The 85-year-old thespian’s creatinine and urea levels have been on the rise since Monday, and nephrologists were mulling the option of providing “renal replacement therapy support”, the doctor said.

The actor, under treatment for the past 22 days, is also suffering from secondary pneumonia, he said.

“Mr Chatterjee is barely conscious. He is being treated for dehydration. His kidneys are not functioning well. The octogenarian's urea and creatinine levels have been on the rise. His overall condition has worsened. He is definitely critical but we have managed to stabilise his condition a bit.

“Our nephrologist is taking a call on whether he may be given any support in the form of renal replacement therapy.

“He is on a ventilator. His saturation is more than 95 per cent with basic oxygen support,” the doctor explained.

There has been no deterioration in the mental status of the veteran actor, he said.

Doctors were planning to carry out blood transfusion on Tuesday, hoping that it would improve Chatterjee’s condition to an extent.

“His platelet count has not gone down from what it was yesterday. We have given him medicines to bring up that count. We are planning a blood transfusion later today; hopefully, that will improve his condition,” he said.

Chatterjee was put on a ventilator with endotracheal intubation on Monday evening to protect his airways.

Endotracheal intubation is a procedure in which a tube is placed into the windpipe through the mouth or nose.

Describing Chatterjee’s “unconsciousness” as their primary concern, the doctor said that at the moment they will “focus on dealing with the secondary infections so that the patient can be pulled out of the ventilation support”.

“We will focus on secondary infections and their repercussions. We have given antibiotics and antifungals and expect him to respond to them. Once his physiological derangements are corrected, we will focus on his neurological parameters. The main issue bothering us is his unconsciousness,” the doctor said.

The critically acclaimed actor, the first Indian film personality to be awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — France’s highest civilian award — was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Last week, he was shifted to a non-Covid Intensive Trauma Unit, having recovered from the viral disease.