Jaswant Singh Remains to be Critical, Still on Life Support Systems

TIR, 9 August 2014, New Delhi: Former Union Minister and BJP Leader, Jaswant Singh’s condition continues to remain critical a day after he had been admitted to the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) at around 1 am on Friday ‘with injury to his head’, the Defence Ministry said.

Jaswant Singh’s family members ‘brought him to the hospital after finding him lying on the floor of the house in an unconscious state’, the brief statement said.

According to a statement from the hospital, at present, Jaswant Singh’s condition is highly critical. He is on life support systems and under constant monitoring by a team of neurosurgeons and critical care providers, said the statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first political leaders to speak to the former BJP leader’s family.

Many leaders, including party patriarch L K Advani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, visited Jaswant Singh in hospital. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also visited the veteran politician. Doctors said that the Examination at the hospital showed him to be in coma, with signs of ‘raised intracranial tension and a haematoma scalp.

“Urgent CT scan of the head showed ‘an acute subdural haematoma with mass effect, a midline shift and contusion of the brain substance’,” said the doctors. The hospital statement said, “A life-saving decompressive hemicraniectomy was done” on Jaswant Singh, who quit the BJP before the Lok Sabha election this year after he was denied a party ticket.

Doctors said that they have conducted a neurological procedure in which a part of the skull is removed to allow a swelling brain room to expand without being squeezed.It is usually performed on victims of traumatic brain injury and stroke, they said.

Born in Barmer in Rajasthan January 3, 1938, Jaswant Singh was one of the most prominent leaders of the BJP and was a close associate of its stalwarts, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani. After serving the Indian Army for nine years, Jaswant Singh went on to play a major role in the Vajpayee-led governments.

He was also widely seen as one of the BJP’s moderate faces. He headed key ministries including defence, finance and external affairs during the three Vajpayee’s tenure – 1996, 1998-99 and 1999-2004.He was elected to Parliament nine times – four times to the Lok Sabha and five times to the Rajya Sabha.

After Jaswant Singh was denied party nomination to contest from Barmer. He unsuccessfully contested as an Independent candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha Election. At his hometown, prayers were being organized for his speedy recovery.

“Prayers are being organized in temples and mosques in Barmer, Balotra and Jasol for his well being. We our sure our leader will soon be hale and hearty,” said Mahendra Singh, a local entrepreneur.