No meal skipping for Hazare any more

PUNE: Anna Hazare has been advised by the doctors, not to go on fast or skip meals any more if he wants to remain healthy.

The 73 year old Hazare is suffering from osteoarthritis. Then also his 98-hour-long hunger strike had compelled the Central government to form a joint-committee to freshly draft the Jan Lokpal Bill pushed back for 42 years.

He was admitted to a hospital here on Tuesday night for treatment and rest after a routine checkup on Monday. He was given an injection to the knee to relieve the pain, his doctors were quoted as saying.

Hazare was undergoing a routine treatment at the hospital for quite some time and there was nothing seriously wrong with him, his doctors said. He will even be able to participate in the meeting of the Lokpal drafting committee, of which he is a member, on May 2.

He has been travelling across the country, taking stock of people’s views and opinions over the anti-graft bill which he vehemently wants to be drafted openly and under full public scrutiny. However, all the travelling was taking a toll on the septuagenarian leader’s health, his doctors said.

“As far as treatment goes, we have started him on steroid injections. He needs to take medication continuously for a week. Besides, we have started him on physiotherapy and traction,” said by Dr Parag Sancheti, chairman of Sancheti Institute of Orthopaedics, where Hazare is admitted.

“We have advised him to eat at regular intervals, and no skipping meals anymore. We have also advised him against weight gain as it could aggravate his problem. So the thrust of recovery is on his diet,” Sancheti was quoted as saying by Mid-Day newspaper.

“Besides, we have told him to compulsorily take a week’s rest, and he cannot undertake activities that will cause strain on his knees. Apart from physiotherapy and traction, Hazare will also be given steroid injections,” said Sancheti.