Guwahati, Aug. 7: Doctors will consider shifting Bhupen Hazarika out of ICU tomorrow, especially after the singer gingerly took a few steps today at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai where he underwent a bypass surgery on Tuesday.

The 83-year-old maestro was assisted out of his bed after which he walked “two rounds” within the ICU with help from doctors.

Surjya Hazarika, a close aide of the singer-composer, said this evening that “Bhupenda was feeling less pain today and the doctors are likely to shift him out of ICU tomorrow. But a final decision will be taken in the morning tomorrow”.

The singer, however, will be kept in hospital for at least a week before he can be declared fit to return home.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who was to call on the singer, could not make his trip to the hospital as he had to fly to Delhi on an official engagement, a source said.

today.

The state government has already announced that it will bear the entire cost of Hazarika’s treatment. The singer was conferred the state’s highest civilian award, Asom Ratna, earlier this year.