Former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi slips into coma: Doctor

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, who was admitted in a private hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest, has slipped into coma, a senior doctor attending him said on Sunday.

Jogi's neurological activity is "almost nil" and he is on ventilator support at Shree Narayana Hospital, where 74-year-old Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) head was admitted on Saturday afteron after he fell unconscious at his residence here, he said.

"His heart functioning is rmal at moment. blood pressure has been controlled by drugs. But re was disruption in oxygen supply to his brain after respiratory arrest yesterday, that possibly led to dam to his brain. In medical parlance it is called hypoxia," hospital's medical director Dr Sunil Khemka said in a bulletin.

"As of w, Jogi's neurological activity is almost nil. In simple words, we can say he has slipped into coma. He is on ventilator. We are making all efforts to improve his health, but situation is worrisome at present," he said.

In next 48 hours, it will be assessed how Jogi's body is responding to medicines, official said, adding that leader is being treated by a team of eight specialist doctors.

A bureaucrat-turned-politician, Jogi, currently an MLA from Marwahi seat, served as first chief minister of Chhattisgarh from vember 2000 to vember 2003 in n Congress government, after formation of state.

He parted ways with Congress in 2016 after he got embroiled in a controversy over alleged fixing of bypoll to Antagarh seat in Kanker district in 2014. He subsequently formed his own outfit JCC (J).

(Im - PTI)