Kolkata, Aug 1 (PTI) The health condition of former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya improved and is maintaining oxygen saturation, doctors said.

A few tests were conducted on the 79-year-old CPI(M) leader to ascertain whether he has developed any further infection, a senior doctor of the hospital where he is undergoing treatment said.

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He said the next course of the treatment will be decided based on the outcome of the clinical examination.

"Bhattacharya's condition has improved much. He had a good sleep at night. He is responding to treatment and is conscious. By evaluation of his current health condition, it seems that the antibiotics administered to him have managed to arrest the infection," the doctor said.

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Bhattacharya was taken to a private hospital in Alipore area of Kolkata with breathing troubles, and he was diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infection and 'Type 2' respiratory failure. He has been suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and other age-related ailments.

He took over as the chief minister of West Bengal in 2000 from party senior Jyoti Basu. He remained in the post till 2011, handling a tenure marked by agitations over the acquisition of land for industries led by now Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

As Bhattacharya lost the 2011 assembly elections to Banerjee's TMC, the CPI(M)-led Left Front's 34 years of rule in the state came to an end -- a loss from which it is yet to recover.

(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)