NEW DELHI, July 28 � Renowned cardio-vascular thoracic surgeon Dr Ramakanta Panda is scheduled to arrive here this evening to examine Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and decide on the next course of action.
Gogoi was released from Max Hospital around 7-30 pm today and he left for his Tinmurty Lane residence in Delhi. Dr Panda will examine him in his residence.
According to sources, head of the Cardiology Department of Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Dr Anjan Kumar Bhattacharyya flew down to Mumbai last evening to hold consultations with Dr Panda regarding Gogoi case.
The vice chairman of the Asian Heart Institute (AHI) is slated to arrive here this evening and examine the Chief Minister and hold consultations with doctors treating him. Dr Panda would be also taking stock of the available infrastructure of Max Hospital before taking a final decision on where to conduct the operation, sources added.
The Chief Minister has expressed his willingness to go to Mumbai, if need be, though the option of shifting to AIIMS has not been ruled out either. Dr Panda had operated on the Prime Minister at AIIMS last January.
The Prime Minister�s Office is also in touch with Dr Panda, while the Prime Minister called Gogoi at Max Hospital and enquired about his health. Dr Bhattacharyya was rushed to brief the Mumbai-based surgeon about Gogoi�s heart condition. Dr Panda is slated to return back to Mumbai early tomorrow morning after examining Gogoi, sources added.
Experts drawn from AIIMS after examining the findings of the investigations carried on the Chief Minister advised Gogoi to go slow and not to take a hasty decision to go for surgery immediately. CEO of Max Heart and Vascular Hospital, Dr Pervez Ahmed, said that the Chief Minister would require two surgeries � a bypass surgery and another surgery to replace an aortic valve with 70 to 80 per cent blocks in two blood vessels.
Meanwhile, political atmosphere within the State Congress party has become surcharged over who would be selected by the Chief Minister to discharge his functions during his absence for treatment.
Sources said that a three-member team comprising State Ministers Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Bharat Narah and Pradyut Bordoloi was likely to be named by Gogoi to over see the administration during the period. In addition, Dr Barman would be tasked to preside over the Cabinet meetings. Dr Barman has discharged the responsibility earlier also whenever the Chief Minister happened to be abroad.
The temporary arrangement of the three-member team is favoured to avoid heart burning among other Cabinet colleagues, sources said.
Meanwhile, a steady stream of visitors including the leader of Opposition, Chandra Mohan Patowary and Rajya Sabha MP Biren Baishya, besides Badruddin Ajmal called on Gogoi.
PCC president, Bhubaneswar Kalita, several State Ministers including Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Rockibul Hussain, Akon Bora, Dinesh Prasad Gowala, Gautam Roy and Himanta Biswa Sarma were among other callers.
Kalita told this newspaper that he had a brief chat with the Chief Minister, who was functioning normally. �I was given to understand that the Chief Minister would take a final decision on where to undergo operations after consulting the doctors,� he said.
Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) has wished Gogoi a speedy recovery.
