Soon after it was announced that singer SP Balasubrahmanyam’s health began deteriorating on Thursday evening, actor and one of his closest friends, Kamal Haasan, rushed to the hospital where the singer has been undergoing treatment in Chennai. Arriving at MGM Healthcare on Chennai’s Nelson Manickam Road, Kamal paid a quick visit to the ICU where the singer has been undergoing treatment for the past 50 days.
“Life-saving machines are functioning. They (family) are all praying. Can’t say that he is doing well. He is critical,” he said speaking to media after his visit.
Kamal and SPB share a long friendship in the cinema industry and the two have worked together in several films. Some of the popular songs that SPB has rendered for Kamal include “Germaniyin Senthen Malare”, “Pudhu Maapillaikku”, “Neela vaana Odaiyil” among others.
SP Balasubrahmanyam tested positive for COVID-19 in early August following which the singer was admitted to the hospital. While he initially displayed only mild symptoms, his condition soon turned serious and he was placed on ventilator and ECMO support. SPB’s son, SP Charan has been sharing regular updates on his father’s condition from the hospital to keep the fans informed. His last update was shared on September 22, in which he had said, “Dad continues the steady progress towards getting better.”
On Thursday, about 50 days since SPB was first admitted on August 5, MGM Healthcare put out a bulletin that said the singer’s condition had taken a turn for the worse. “His condition in the last 24 hours has deteriorated further warranting maximal life support and he is extremely critical. The team of experts at MGM Healthcare are closely monitoring his health condition,” it read.
Only early this month, on September 7, Charan had shared that his father had tested negative for COVID-19 and that he was on the way to recovery. The news of SPB’s health continues to be closely followed by scores of his fans spread across the world. The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee last shared a video message before being admitted to the hospital in August in which he had asked fans not to worry.
Watch: Kamal visits SPB in hospital