Jaswant Singh in coma after severe head injury, condition `highly critical`

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

Delhi: Former BJP leader Jaswant Singh who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Army`s Research and Referral hospital in Delhi after suffering a severe head injury last night at his residence, is said to be in a very critical condition on Friday. “Former BJP leader Jaswant Singh is in very critical condition after suffering a head injury at his home early Friday,” the government said in a release. A Defence Ministry statement said, "At present the condition is very critical. He is on life support systems and under constant monitoring by a team of neurosurgeons and critical care providers." Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to his family members on phone shortly after he was apprised about Singh`s condition. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu confirmed that the Prime Minister spoke to Singh`s son Manvendra over phone and expressed hope for his fast recovery. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also reportedly visited the hospital to check about his health.

The PM spoke to the family of former Union Minister Shri Jaswant Singh this morning. He prays for Shri Singh's speedy recovery.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 8, 2014

Also, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the hospital to see Singh and check about his health. According to initial reports, the former Union Minister was found unconscious around 11 pm at his residence here last night. The 76-year-old ex-BJP leader is believed to have fallen at his residence last night and sustained severe injuries in the head. He was then rushed to the R&R Army Hospital for treatment. The doctors at the R&R hospital have conducted an operation on him in the wee hours today to stop internal bleeding in the head. He is said to be in a critical condition. A senior doctor at the hospital confirmed that Singh has been operated upon for head injury and he is still unconscious. “Examination at the hospital showed him to be in coma, with signs of ‘raised intracranial tension and a haematoma scalp’. Urgent CT scan of the head showed ‘an acute subdural haematoma with mass effect, a midline shift and contusion of the brain substance’. A lifesaving ‘decompressive hemicraniectomy’ was done by the doctors," said the medical bulletin detailing his condition. BJP patriarch LK Advani was the first one to visit him at the hospital this morning. One of the founders of the BJP, Jaswant Singh quit the party early this year after he was denied ticked to contest Lok Sabha polls from Barmer. Singh is considered very close to party patriarch LK Advani and has worked closely with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Peeved at the party high command`s decision to deny him the Lok Sabha ticket, Singh later contested the polls as an independent candidate from Barmer and formally resigned from the BJP. The veteran leader, however, lost the election. Singh held the finance, defence and external affairs ministries in previous NDA governments.