The ailing 95-year-old leader underwent the slow low efficiency daily dialysis (SLEDD) today and the doctors at the hospital said his essential organs — heart, kidney, liver and lungs — were functioning with the help of life support. The SLEDD was started today at 11.45 am and will continue for eight hours.

The doctors at AMRI had consulted the experts at the All India Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS) before starting this form of dialysis as Basu is not strong enough to withstand normal dialysis.

Meanwhile, his urine output has deteriorated further and his blood pressure is being maintained with high doses of antibiotics. The doctors said their first task at this stage was to remove the fluids from the lung as well as the toxic materials from the body.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had visited the ailing leader earlier this month, today wished him a speedy recovery during his visit to the city.

“I would like to make a mention of another very distinguished old boy of St. Xavier’s and a great son of India, Shri Jyoti Basu. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and I wish him a speedy recovery,” the prime minister said during his speech at St Xavier’s.

Late in the evening, actor Amitabh Bachchan visited the hospital to see Basu. However, he refused to interact with the media and later, senior party leader Md Selim said Bachchan was present when the dialysis got over. Although the doctors said he could visit Basu, the actor declined to do so as he did not want to disturb him. Bachchan met senior CPM leaders Biman Bose, Prakash Karat and Md Selim as well as Basu’s son Chandan.

The actor wrote down his greetings in the notebook where he inscribed - “We wish a speedy recovery of the great son of Bengal, Jyoti Basu. May he recover fast. All our thoughts are with him and his family.”