Subrata takes ill in hills

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, July 18: State panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee was today admitted to the Darjeeling Eden Hospital following breathing difficulty which doctors later said was because his bronchial asthma got aggravated.

Mukherjee’s condition was reported as stable later in the evening but he is being kept under observation at the district hospital’s Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU).

Subir Bhowmick, the chief medical officer of health, Darjeeling, said: “We got information around 4pm today that the minister was ill. Our medical team was present at the spot and they decided to bring him to the ITU as the bronchial asthma got aggravated. His condition is stable now and a medical board consisting of eight doctors is observing him.”

“He has slight hypertension. We are in touch with his personal doctor through tele-conference and there is nothing to worry. His blood test has been conducted and he is being monitored every hour,” said Bhowmick.

Mukherjee, 65, was at the office of the Darjeeling superintendent of police at Birch Hill at the time of attack.

He had gone there after an administrative meeting at district magistrate’s office, which was chaired by Mamata Banerjee. Before that Mukherjee was seen with the chief minister when she came out of Richmond Hill following a meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung around 2pm.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee also visited Mukherjee at the hospital. “There is nothing to worry,” she said.