Doctors treating Indian death row convict Sarbajit Singh, comatose in a hospital here in Pakistan after a brutal assault, today said his condition has deteriorated though he had not been declared brain dead.
Allama Iqbal Medical College principal Mahmood Shaukat, the head of a four-member medical board this is supervising Sarabjit’s treatment, confirmed that his condition had deteriorated.
“He continues to be serious but has not been declared brain dead,” Shaukat told PTI.
“In our latest investigation, there was no sign of improvement (in Sarabjit’s condition). Rather, his condition further deteriorated,” he said.
Sarabjit is in a special intensive care unit of the state-run Jinnah hospital.
Shaukat said top neurosurgeons and physicians are providing Sarabjit the best treatment to save his life. The doctors had changed some medications after the deterioration in his condition. A second CT scan on Sarabjit too did not reveal any signs of improvement, Shaukat said.
“The Glasgow Coma Scale of the patient is being monitored on a daily basis,” he added. A source had earlier told PTI that Sarabjit’s condition was measured as 5 on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which indicates the level of damage to a person’s central nervous system. The lowest possible GCS score is 3 while the highest is 15. The GCS assesses level of consciousness after a profound head injury and Sarabjit’s reading indicated deep unconsciousness, making his treatment a major neurosurgical challenge for the medical board.