"Saibaba is on ventilator. Dialysis was done to assist his kidney function," said A N Safaya, director, Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences. He said Baba´s respiration had improved since morning. Following serious lung and chest congestion, Saibaba was put on ventilator. [break]
"His response to the treatment is satisfactory," doctors said. The 85-year-old Saibaba was admitted to Satyasai super-speciality hospital here on March 28 following pneumonia and respiratory problems.
With Saibaba sitting over assets worth hundreds of crores, rumours were rife about a succession battle within the portals of Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of Saibaba, in this small town in the farthest corner of Andhra Pradesh.
Sources said a constant watch was being kept on his health condition by an expert medical team. The doctors have already implanted a pacemaker in him because of his irregular heart beat.
Sources said bickerings persist between Satya Sai Trust members and the family members of the godman. It is learnt that a team of judges is likely to come to Puttaparthi to look into various properties, assets and carry out documentation work. Trust secretary Chakravathi, a former IAS officer who worked as Anantapur collector, wields a lot of clout in Prasanthi Nilayam.
Though Saibaba´s brother Janakiram´s son Ratnakar was made the trust member last year, sources said all is not well as both the trust and the family want to wrest control of Saibaba´s abode. "A foreigner donated Rs 300 crore for the super-speciality hospital, while another ardent devotee donated Rs 200 crore for the music college several years ago. His followers and devotees donate liberally to the trust which manages the affairs of the godman," insiders said.
Sources said questions were already being raised as to who would control the affairs of Prasanthi Nilayam after Saibaba. Apart from the hospital in Puttaparthi, the trust runs a mega hospital in White Field near Bangalore and several educational institutions in Puttaparthi and Anantapur. It also runs a drinking water scheme in Anantapur and Chennai. Judges, bureaucrats, ministers, MPs, MLAs and chief ministers from across the nation are Baba´s devotees.
Minister J Geeta Reddy, an ardent devotee of Saibaba, has been camping at Puttaparthi for the last three days. She said Baba´s health condition was stable and urged the devotees to maintain peace and cooperate with the Sai Seva Trust and police authorities. She said devotees should not gate-crash into the hospital as Saibaba was undergoing treatment in ICCU.
Meanwhile, Puttaparthi has been placed under heavy security blanket in view of Baba´s ill-health. Sources said about 5,000 cops have been deployed in and around Puttaparthi. DGP Aravinda Rao, who visited the hospital and took stock of the situation, said Anantapur DIG Charu Sinha is looking after security measures.
Additional police check-posts have been set up at Prasanthi Nilayam and the hospital to prevent devotees from creating a commotion.
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