Karnataka - Bangalore   

Actor leaves the gift of sight behind

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: The veteran actor Rajkumar, who died on Wednesday afternoon of cardiac arrest, was having health problems for some time and had been in and out of hospital for the past year.

Medical Director of M.S. Ramaiah Hospital Naresh Shetty told The Hindu that the thespian was brought to the hospital by his personal physician, Ramana Rao, around 1.30 p.m., where the doctor declared him brought dead around 2 p.m.

"We tried to resuscitate him but he had already breathed his last," Dr. Shetty said.

In February, Dr. Rajkumar was admitted to Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute on a complaint of "unstable angina," a condition in which blood flow to the heart is reduced.

He also had bronchial allergy, which brought in a bout of coughing and collection of fluids in the lungs owing to the poor pumping action of the heart, at that time.

Dr. Rao had said that the actor had complained of severe chest pain with shortness of breath then. He was rushed to Wockhardt hospital's critical care unit (CCU).

Vishal Bali, Vice-President, Wockhardt Hospitals told The Hindu on Wednesday that Dr. Rajkumar had been admitted to the hospital thrice in the last year and a half.

"The last time he was admitted around a month ago, he had complained of chest pain," he said. The thespian had had an angioplasty performed on him to treat blocks in his arteries at the hospital a year-and-a-half ago.

The actor had undergone a knee replacement surgery at the MIOT Hospital in Chennai a few years ago. Last year, he underwent a routine check up at the M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital following complaints of severe joint pain. He went through a series of medical tests including a blood test, ultrasound and bone density test, according to hospital authorities.

Even in death, he made a generous gesture. Bhujang Shetty, founder of Narayana Netralaya, said the veteran actor had pledged his eyes some years ago. "Around 3.15 pm, I removed the cornea of both eyes with the consent of the family. Tomorrow, they will transplanted on two persons who will get the precious gift of eyesight," he said.

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