Poet Shankha Ghosh’s condition ‘stable’

The condition of veteran Bengali poet and literary critic Shankha Ghosh, who is in hospital, has improved and is now stable, doctors attending him said today.

Ghosh, 87, suffers from Parkinson's disease but the primary issue currently is his chest infection, they said. He was hospitalised on Tuesday with infection in his lower respiratory tract.

"Mr Ghosh's condition is stable. He is suffering from old-age ailments and it will take him around two to three weeks to recover fully," his supervising physician CK Maity, an internal and geriatric medicine specialist, said.

"In the past 24 hours, Mr Ghosh has responded well to our treatment and his parameters have improved to a great extent," Maity said.

A medical board has been formed to supervise the health condition of the writer, he added.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar paid a visit to the ailing litterateur at the hospital.

"I wish him long life so that he directs us more for the welfare of the people of the state of West Bengal," Dhankhar said after meeting the poet.

Ghosh won the prestigious Jnanpith award in 2016. He was conferred the Sahitya Akademi award in 1977 and is the author of literary works like 'Babarer Prarthana', 'Murkho Boro, Samajik Nyay' and 'Adim Lata –Gulmomay'.