Ex-Congress minister, infected with Covid-19, discharged after a record 101 days

Former union minister and senior Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki, who had tested positive for coronavirus, on Thursday was discharged from the hospital in Ahmedabad after a record 101 days, out of which he was on ventilator for 51 days. The doctors have termed the period as the "longest" to recover for a covid-19 infected patient in the country and in Asia.

Solanki, 66, had developed symptoms and was admitted to a hospital at his hometown in Anand on June 21, two days after he lost Rajya Sabha polls. After his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to CIMS (Care Institute of Medical Sciences), Ahmedabad on June 30 from a hospital in Vadodara. CIMS officials said that Solanki was suffering from "pneumonia, renal failure, coma, paralysis and sepsis."

A note issued by the hospital stated that "On admission, he was kept on BiPAP (Non Invasive Ventilator) support for 7 days followed by 44 days of Invasive Ventilation. Due to his prevailing multiple comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes and asthma he was injected with the antiviral drug remdesivir, doses of immunosuppressive drug tocilizumab and also underwent Convalescent Plasma therapy."

Before his discharge, Solanki told mediaperons that his recovery is nothing short of a "miracle" and advised everyone to wear masks. He said that he didn't take the infection seriously initially and kept meeting people without taking precaution.

"We have won the battle with the unmatched and relentless efforts of COVID Care Team of CIMS Hospital. After a record hospitalization of 101 days (the longest in India and Asia), we are glad to see the patient going home walking and smiling from CIMS Hospital. It has been one of the most difficult Critical Cases in CIMS history," Dr Keyur Parikh, chairman, CIMS, said in a release.