In hospital bed, RK Laxman 'cartoonist' overcomes the 'patient'

Bedridden in a city hospital after suffering a series of strokes, India's best known cartoonist wants to get back to what he does best.

"All he wants is a paper and pen to sketch. He is trying to put signature on paper. I gave him his drawing pad and said this is for you to sketch," RK Laxman's daughter-in-law Usha said this morning.

"He is feeling much better. He is stable now," Usha said.

The eminent cartoonist suffered three mild strokes and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Breach Candy hospital here on Sunday after being transported by an air ambulance from Pune, where he has been living for the past few years.

86-year-old Laxman was earlier admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Pune where he suffered two more mild strokes affecting right portion of his body as also his speech.

Hospital sources said Laxman, who is a diabetic, has also developed mild kidney problem and also some infection as his white blood corpuscles are on a higher side. He is being treated for stroke, kidney problem, and also for the infection.