Milkha Singh battles ‘rough day’, oxygen saturation level dips

He developed a fever on Thursday night and his oxygen saturation levels dipped. A team of doctors is monitoring him in the general ICU.

Published : Jun 18, 2021 16:18 IST , Chandigarh

Milkha Singh (91) had contracted COVID-19 last month.
Milkha Singh (91) had contracted COVID-19 last month.
lightbox-info

Milkha Singh (91) had contracted COVID-19 last month.

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh has developed a fever and his oxygen saturation level has also dropped as he battles to regain his health, after a bout with COVID-19, in the Intensive Care Unit of the PGIMER hospital here on Friday.

The 91-year-old, who tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday and was shifted to the general ICU, is being closely monitored by a team of doctors.

"He suddenly developed a fever Thursday night and his oxygen saturation levels dipped. A team of doctors is monitoring him," PGIMER sources said on Friday.

Milkha had been "stable” before this.

"It's been a slightly rough day for Milkha Ji. But he is battling away," read a statement from his family.

He had contracted COVID-19 last month and his 85-year-old wife Nirmal Kaur, who had also been infected by the virus, passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Sunday.

Kaur was a former national women's volleyball team captain.

Milkha was admitted to PGIMER on June 3 after his oxygen levels dipped at home following treatment at the Fortis hospital in Mohali for a week.

The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion but his greatest performance remains the fourth-place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics.

He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics and was bestowed the Padma Shri in 1959.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment