In a major cause for concern for Bollywood and her countless fans and well-wishers across the country, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s health deteriorated at the Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai, where she was put on ventilator on Saturday.

Ninety-two-year-old Lata – who had been taken off ventilator on January 27 after she recovered from pneumonia and Covid-19 – was put on ventilator support once again, after her condition deteriorated.

“The condition of singer Lata has deteriorated again and she is on a ventilator and critical...She is under aggressive therapy. We are continuously monitoring her. She continues to be under observation at the ICU,” Dr Pratit Samdhani — who has been attending to the iconic singer ever since she was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital nearly a month ago – said.

It may be recalled that a statement put out on January 27 on her official Twitter handle had read, “Lata didi continues to be in ICU at Breach Candy hospital, Mumbai under treatment. She has been given a TRIAL of extubation (off the invasive Ventilator) this morning. Presently, she is showing signs of improvement but will remain under observation of the team of doctors headed by Dr Pratit Samdani. We thank each one for your prayers and good wishes”.

However, the news of her deteriorating health went viral on social media on Saturday, causing serious concern among her lakhs of fans and admirers in the metropolis and elsewhere in the country.

Lata didi, as Lata Mangeshkar is popularly known across the country, was admitted to the hospital on January 9 following health issues, including pneumonia and Covid-19.

All the Mangeshkar family members, including Asha Bhosale, Usha Mangeskar and their only brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar are camping at the hospital.

A host of VVIPs, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray, MNS chief President Raj Thackeray, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, visited the hospital to enquire about her health.

Raj Thackeray said he had gone specially to the hospital to discuss with the medical teams treating her at the hospital and dispel rumour mongering that has been intense since this afternoon.

Several of the Bollywood personalities took to twitter to express concern over Lata’s  deteriorating health condition and wish her speedy recovery “Sending good wishes and praying for Lata didi’s speedy recovery @mangeshkarlata #LataMangeshkar (sic),” yesteryear actress Madhuri Dixit Nene tweeted.

 “#prayers, speedy recovery to our nightingale @mangeshkarlata ji (sic),” tweeted Raveena Tandon.

Calling her ‘jewel of India’, actor Aftab Shivdasani tweeted: “Sincere prayers for @mangeshkarlata ji’s recovery. A true legend and jewel of India (sic).”

Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have beefed up security around the Breach Candy hospital in south Mumbai to control anxious crowds of the singer’s fans and well-wishers who have begun to assemble there ever since the news of Lata’s deteriorating health spread.