Mahasweta Devi critical

Kolkata: Social activist and writer Mahasweta Devi continued to be in a critical condition requiring life support, a doctor said on Monday.

The nonagenarian litterateur was responding to treatment last week but her condition took a dip since Sunday.

"She is critical and needs life support. We don't think we can get her off the ventilation at this point in time. Her urine output has improved slightly," a doctor told IANS.

The 90-year-old Ramon Magsaysay awardee suffers from various ailments and was put on non-invasive ventilation earlier in July after her condition worsened.

The writer, who was honoured with the Jnanpith Award in 1996, has been undergoing treatment at a hospital here for about two months now.