Doctors have decided to start dialysis on legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee as his health condition continues to be "very critical", sources at the private hospital where the thespian is undergoing treatment said on Wednesday.

The 85-year old has been "unconscious" since last week.

"Mr Chatterjee's health condition is more-or-less the same as it was in the last 48 hours. There is no new deterioration. The haemologin and other parameters are stable, but his renal function is not... we have decided to go for dialysis to bring down the urea and creatinine levels. This will also improve his consciousness," one of the doctors said.

“The dialysis will be for a short duration,” he added.

The actor's creatinine and urea levels have been on the rise since Monday, and nephrologists are also mulling the option of providing "renal replacement therapy support".

He is also suffering from secondary pneumonia. “Chatterjee's lung functions are more or less stable and his ventilation parameter is also good,” the doctor said.

Chatterjee was put on a ventilator with endotracheal intubation on Monday evening to protect his airways.

Endotracheal intubation is a procedure in which a tube is placed into the windpipe through the mouth or nose.

“He is on a ventilator. His saturation is more than 95 per cent with basic oxygen support,” the doctor explained.

There has been no deterioration in the mental status of the veteran actor, he said.

Doctors were planning to carry out blood transfusion on Tuesday, hoping that it would improve Chatterjee’s condition to an extent.

“His platelet count has not gone down from what it was yesterday. We have given him medicines to bring up that count. We are planning a blood transfusion later today; hopefully, that will improve his condition,” he said.

Describing Chatterjee’s “unconsciousness” as their primary concern, the doctor said that at the moment they will “focus on dealing with the secondary infections so that the patient can be pulled out of the ventilation support”.

“We will focus on secondary infections and their repercussions. We have given antibiotics and antifungals and expect him to respond to them. Once his physiological derangements are corrected, we will focus on his neurological parameters. The main issue bothering us is his unconsciousness,” the doctor said.

The critically acclaimed actor, the first Indian film personality to be awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — France’s highest civilian award — was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Last week, he was shifted to a non-Covid Intensive Trauma Unit, having recovered from the viral disease.