Kolkata, Oct 23 (PTI) Doctors are contemplating whether plasma therapy can be useful to improve the neurological condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city for past 18 days after he tested COVID-19 positive.

Dr Arindam Kar, who is leading the team of doctors in treating the veteran actor said in a statement on Friday evening, that the other organ functions like liver, kidney and heart conditions of Chatterjee are okay but he is "barely arousable."

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"As he has responded briefly for steroids our neurology panel is contemplating whether plasma therapy can be useful and we are mulling future plan of action," Kar said.

The doctor said since Chatterjee has been in ICU for three weeks, "it is always challenging to prevent secondary complications."

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The present neurological condition of the octogenarian was due to "Covid encephalopathy extended for a while," he said. "It will be huge effort to get him out of this situation with other therapies for neurological complications. We hope he should recover," Kar said.

The doctors are also administering anti-convulsants and stimulants to get him up and to rule out any "auto immune disorder, post covid," he said.

The critically acclaimed actor, who has worked with renowned filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Tarun Mazumdar, was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested COVID-19 positive.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)