Vajpayee critical, on ventilator

The health of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee remained a concern with doctors putting him on "mechanical ventilation" after his respiratory infection worsened.

"He (Vajpayee) continues to have lower respiratory track infection, which has worsened since morning. He has been put on mechanical ventilation in the ICU (intensive care unit) and is being monitored by a team of doctors,"Sampath Kumar, head of the Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences Department of AIIMS, said this evening.

All his basic parameters, including blood pressure, liver and kidney functions, were normal, Kumar said.

Vajpayee, 84, continues to be in the ICU. His progress was being monitored by a team of doctors, AIIMS Medical Superintendent DK Sharma said in a bulletin earlier in the day.

The doctor had yesterday said Vajpayee "is not having fever and his lower respiratory track infection is much better. His condition is stable."