Ailing Manohar Parrikar may travel abroad for medical treatment

Manohar Parrikar will travel to Mumbai for further medical checkups and may even go abroad if doctors treating him so advice.

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Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar may travel abroad to receive further medical treatment, his personal secretary revealed on Monday. Parrikar was discharged from state government-run Goa Medical College and Hospital last Thursday after spending five days there on complaints of dehydration and low blood pressure.

While Parrikar is currently recuperating at his residence in Goa, his personal secretary Rupesh Kamat told news agency ANI that the 62-year-old will travel to Mumbai for further medical checkups and another round of checkups may follow in another country. "He (Parrikar) will travel to Mumbai for further medical checkup and based on doctor’s advice, may travel overseas for further treatment," he said. Parrikar has not been in the best of health in recent weeks and was first admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on February 15 for "mild pancreatitis" according to the CMO.  He was discharged days later and Parrikar even returned to Goa to deliver a truncated annual budget speech on February 22. Days later though, he was taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital and was discharged after five days.

Happy to be home. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes. Wishing you all a very Happy & Colourful #Holi. — Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) March 1, 2018

While sources close to Parrikar maintain that he is recovering well, they add that further medical checks are largely precautionary in nature. Well-wishers within Bharatiya Janata Party as well as supporters elsewhere have been sending good wishes to him - some having even conducted Mahamrityunjay Jaaps (chants to defy death) for him.

Parrikar is India's former defence minister and is currently serving his third term as Goa Chief Minister. While his health in recent weeks has been a cause of concern, BJP has repeatedly said that speculations must not be made, adding that there is no question of appointing a new CM.