Atal Bihari Vajpayee admitted to AIIMS with kidney issues, undergoing dialysis

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was on Monday admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a “routine checkup”. A statement issued by the BJP and by AIIMS said his condition is stable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, home minister Rajnath Singh and health minister J.P. Nadda visited the former PM at AIIMS.

Well-placed sources at AIIMS said Mr Vajpayee arrived there at around 11.30 am for a routine checkup and was admitted to the Cardio Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at CN Centre. “Former Prime Minister Vajpayee will be kept under observation under the watchful eyes of a team of doctors for tonight and any decision on his discharge will be taken as per the advice of experts,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, the BJP in a statement said that on the advice of his doctors, Mr Vajpayee was admitted to AIIMS for routine checkups and investigations. Later, AIIMS said in a statement: “Former Prime Minister Vajpayee has been admitted for examination and management. He is stable. A team of doctors, under the supervision of AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, are conducting tests.”

In the evening, at around 7.30 pm, Prime Minister Modi visited Mr Vajpayee at AIIMS, and spent around 50 minutes there. AIIMS sources said Mr Modi enquired about Mr Vajpayee’s condition and met his family members. “Earlier in the evening, Congress president Rahul Gandhi was first to visit the former PM at AIIMS. Later, BJP president Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, health minister J.P. Nadda and veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani also visited the former PM at AIIMS,” a source there said.

The PMO tweeted late Monday evening: “PM Narendra Modi visited former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at AIIMS today. He was at AIIMS for about 50 minutes... The Prime Minister interacted with family members of Mr Vajpayee. He also spoke to doctors and enquired about the health of Mr Vajpayee.”

Mr Vajpayee, 93, was Prime Minister briefly for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004. As his health deteriorated, he slowly withdrew from public life and has been confined to his residence for many years. In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.