Sharad Pawar hospitalised in Pune with breathing difficulty, chest infection

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar was brought to a private hospital in Pune on Monday after complaining of cough and breathing difficulty, doctors said.

Pawar was shifted to Ruby Hall Clinic from his residence in Baramati in the afternoon. After arrival, a CT scan was conducted, which confirmed a chest infection, said Parvez Grant, chief cardiologist and managing trustee of the hospital.

“A CT scan has been done and there is a chest infection. After all the tests are completed, we may admit him for a day,” Grant said, adding that a team of doctors was examining the veteran leader and further treatment would be decided based on test results.

The 85-year-old leader was accompanied to the hospital by his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule and her husband Sadanand Sule.

Hospital sources said Pawar arrived in a multi-purpose vehicle and stepped out on his own before being taken inside the facility in a wheelchair. Visuals from the hospital showed him alert on arrival.

Party sources said Pawar had been experiencing throat infection, persistent cough and chest congestion over the past few days, prompting the decision to shift him to Pune for detailed medical evaluation.

Pawar is an oral cancer survivor and has, in recent years, undergone periodic medical check-ups for various age-related ailments. Party leaders said there was no cause for immediate concern and described his hospital visit as precautionary.

Supporters gathered outside the hospital complex after news of his admission spread, while party functionaries said updates on his condition would be shared once medical assessments were completed.

Doctors said Pawar’s condition would be reviewed after all test reports were available, following which a decision on discharge or continued observation would be taken.