Manmohan likely to be discharged this weekend

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making good progress after his heart surgery,doctors plan to discharge him over the weekend. If things continue like this,he is likely to be discharged by Saturday or Sunday. All the Intensive care monitoring units have been removed as he is doing very well, Dr Ramakanta Panda told The Indian Express.

Dr Panda,who led the teams of doctors which conducted the surgery,said the PM would not require any major changes in his daily routine once he is discharged. He has needed this bypass surgery after 18 long years,which says it all. He has been extra careful. So no major changes would be required once he returns to work, he said,adding that the physiotherapy lessons will however continue for at least two more weeks. As of now he has been making excellent progress,but it cannot be said when he will be back at work, he added. However,doctors are unable to pinpoint how the blockages were caused. Diabetes cannot be the reason for this,as his blood sugar levels have been well controlled, added Dr Panda. He said there was nothing abnormal in the procedure as often re-do surgeries involve more grafts. The more the grafts,the better it is, he added.

Meanwhile,President Pratibha Patil visited Dr Singh and spent about 15 minutes speaking to wife Gursharan Kaur.