<b>Basu suffers multi-organ failure, sinking</b>

CPI-M patriarch Jyoti Basu suffered multi-organ failure today and "is sinking and totally dependent on life support", an attending doctor said.

"It is a case of multi-organ failure. Three organs--lung, kidney and the haemo dynamic system--have failed and his heart is partially affected. His condition sank earlier, then stabilised. He is sinking again now," Dr Susruth Banerjee, a doctor on the medical board of AMRI Hospital where Basu was admitted on January one with pneumonia, told reporters.

He said the 95-year-old former chief minister was now totally dependent on life support. "His kidney is dependent on dialysis, lung on ventilation and haemo dynamic system on medicine."

He said Basu underwent dialysis for three hours today and would also undergo it tomorrow.