Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar, who was hospitalised on January 11, 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19, is reportedly in critical condition now. Media reports said the singer’s health has deteriorated again and that she is still in the ICU on ventilator support.
Dr Pratit Samdani of Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where the singer has been admitted, was quoted as saying to media sources, “She is on a ventilator. She is still in ICU and will remain under the observation of doctors (sic).”
He had added, “She is under aggressive therapy. We are continuously observing her. She continues to be in ICU, she is under serious observation. Her treatment is going on in Breach Candy hospital (sic).”
Lata Mageshkar had been admitted to the hospital after she had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia. The singer had also been steadily recovering, according to media reports. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said towards the end of January that Lata was responding well to treatment and that she had been taken off ventilator support. He was quoted as saying by media reports, “I spoke with Dr Pratit Samdani who is treating singer Lata Mangeshkar. She’s recovering, was on a ventilator for some days, but is better now. She is no more on ventilator. Only oxygen is being given to her. She is responding to the treatment (sic).”
Lata’s niece Rachna Shah too had confirmed the same and told the media that the 92-year-old singer was “stable”. She urged people to keep Lata in their prayers and was quoted as saying to sources, “Didi is absolutely stable and is alert. God has been really kind. She is a fighter and a winner and that is how we have known her for so many years. I would like to thank all the fans across the nation who have kept her in their prayers. We can see when everyone prays, nothing can go wrong (sic).”
Known to be one of Indian cinema’s most iconic singers, Lata received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2001. She has also been honoured with the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and multiple National Film Awards.
Popularly known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, the legendary singer has recorded songs in more than a thousand Hindi films and has sung tracks in several Indian languages as well as foreign languages.