Chandigarh: Five-time former Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, who was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali over a week ago, died Tuesday. He was 95.
He was admitted to Mohali’s Fortis Hospital after he complained of uneasiness in breathing.
“Mr Badal passed away at around 8 pm,” hospital Director Abhijeet Singh told PTI over the phone.
The hospital issued a medical bulletin shortly afterwards in which it detailed his health issues.
“S Parkash Singh Badal, Former Chief Minister of Punjab, was admitted at Fortis Hospital Mohali on 16th April 2023 with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. He was shifted to the medical ICU on 18th April as his respiratory condition worsened.
“He had been on NIV (non-invasive ventilation) and HFNC (high-flow nasal cannula) support along with medical management. He was being managed under Prof (Dr) Digambar Behera along with the Pulmonology and critical care team supported by Cardiology,” it said.
“Despite appropriate medical management S Parkash Singh Badal succumbed to his illness. Fortis Hospital Mohali deeply condoles the death of S Parkash Singh Badal,” the bulletin said.
Badal had been in the intensive care unit of the hospital and doctors were closely monitoring his health condition. Hospital sources said his health condition suddenly deteriorated during the day on Tuesday.
In a bulletin issued on Monday evening, the private hospital had said, “Parkash Singh Badal continues to be under close observation in the medical ICU (Intensive Care Unit).”
He was on a non-invasive ventilation, it had said.
“He was having severe breathing difficulty this time and having advance age he could not come out of respiratory issues,” a source had said on Monday.
The former chief minister was also hospitalised in June last year following complaints related to gastritis and bronchial asthma.
In February 2022, he was taken to a private hospital in Mohali for a post-Covid health examination during which he underwent cardiac and pulmonary check-ups.
He had tested positive for COVID-19 in January last year and was admitted to a hospital in Ludhiana.
PTI