SPB stable, says hospital

The veteran singer "continues to be on ventilator and ECMO support in the Intensive Care Unit," MGM Healthcare's Assistant Director of Medical Services, Dr Anuradha Baskaran said. Balasubrahmanyam's "current clinical condition is stable and he continues to be closely monitored by our multidisciplinary clinical team," she said in a bulletin.

Popular playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, fighting COVID-19, continues to be on ventilator and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation support and his current condition is stable, a hospital treating him said here on Monday. The veteran singer "continues to be on ventilator and ECMO support in the Intensive Care Unit," MGM Healthcare's Assistant Director of Medical Services, Dr Anuradha Baskaran said.

Balasubrahmanyam's "current clinical condition is stable and he continues to be closely monitored by our multidisciplinary clinical team," she said in a bulletin. After issuing a statement that his father has tested negative for the virus and he is stable, the singer's son Charan, later in two separate video messages, came up withan explainer.

Charan, also a filmmaker, said he usually provided updates on his father's health after having a discussion with the medical team from the hospital. "But unfortunately I am forced to put up a post in the morning," he said.

"My PRO (Public Relations Officer) Nikhil Murugan actually did consultwith me, but unfortunately, because I was in the middle of a puja, I was unable tosee the press note (which said the singer has tested negative for COVID) properly... I had okayed the issuance of the press note," he explained. Regardless of whether his father was "COVID negative or positive" he continued to be on ventilator and ECMO (a heart- lung assistance machine) support, Charan said.

"He is stable fortunately," he said and hoped that the stability factor would help his early recovery. The 74-year-old Balasubrahmanyam, hugely popular for his singing skills in several languages, was admitted to MGM Healthcare on August 5 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

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