Sathya Sai Baba shows improvement

 The godman’s responses have been encouraging, accor­ding to the doctors treating the 85-year-old Baba. Said Andhra Pradesh Director of Medical Ed­ucation Ravi Raju, who heads the special panel of doctors deputed by the government: “Baba’s consciousness has increased and he has been blinking his eyes. His response, though sluggish, has given the do­ctors treating him a ray of ho­pe. They believe that the gu­ru will tide over the problem.”

Given his age, there were apprehensions of whether or not the spiritual guru would survive and even the doctors treating him had, on Tuesday, expr­essed concern over his sluggish pace of recovery. “Doctors world over do not know too many 85-year-olds who come out of a multi-organ dysfunction. The apprehensions am­ong people were justified. But the doctors, since Wednesday have been exuding confidence over his recovery,” a source in the hospital said.

Ravi Raju further said that the vital parameters of the godman, including his heart rate are near normal and that his blo­od pressure read 80/130 on Thursday morning. “The daily urine output, which was 25-30 ml last week, has improved to 80-90 ml reflecting the condition of the kidneys,” Raju said, pointing out that the doctors have reduced the dialysis considerably. “Mind you, from a 24-hour hemodialysis, doctors have come to a once in 24 hours or 36 hours slow dialysis," he stressed.

Also, MRI and CT scans of his infected right lung revealed that infection had reduced and that there was only a low level of pneumonia. Doctors said that the fluid therapy given along with the ventilator support will be continued.

The intestine functions, the doctors said, are satisfactory. Baba is being fed through pipes and his body metabolism has re­ached normalcy. “His blood circulation has also improved when compared to last week,” Ravi Raju said, hinting that Baba might come out of the problem in 10 to 15 days.

However, Raju refused to confirm the same, refraining from categorically stating anything.