NEW DELHI, July 29 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is leaving for Mumbai tomorrow for further treatment at the Asian Heart Institute (AHI) following a discussion with the vice-chairman of the Institute Dr Ramakanta Panda. He is likely to be operated on August 4.
The cardio-vascular thoracic surgeon arrived in the capital late last evening and drove down to the Chief Minister�s Teen Murti Marg House straight from the airport at around 1 am. He conferred with the Chief Minister, his attending physician and examined the test reports. Gogoi was discharged from Max Hospital at around 7.30 pm and was put under rest.
He advised Gogoi to come to Mumbai and get himself admitted at AHI. The Chief Minister has been diagnosed with two heart blockages in blood vessels. He may need to undergo two surgeries � a bypass surgery and another surgery to replace an aortic valve.
Sources said the Chief Minister is expected to leave for Mumbai at 10 am and drive down to the hospital from the airport to get admitted. Sources said one of the reasons behind the decision to shift to Mumbai was that Dr Panda and his team would be at hand for post-operative care.
Though the option of having Dr Panda flown in to operate here at AIIMS was considered but the renowned physician�s tight schedule and the fact that he may not be at hand for post-operative care, weighed in favour of the Chief Minister going to Mumbai, sources added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad were among senior Central leaders, who called on the Chief Minister at his residence. The Prime Minister is scheduled to call on him late in the evening at 9.15 pm, while Chidambaram arrived in the evening and spent about 15 minutes with Gogoi. Azad was among the early callers.
Besides the Central Ministers, senior AICC members, MPs of the State and State Congressmen thronged his residence to meet him.
The Chief Minister was reported to be functioning normally and met most of the visitors, though briefly.
