PM to visit Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute

Mumbai, Nov 8 (IANS) In fulfilment of an “old promise” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit the Asian Heart Institute (AHI) here during his brief visit Saturday, an official said.

Doctor Ramakant Panda, who operated upon Singh in January 2009 is the head of the AHI, which is completing a decade of its existence this year, the official said on the condition of anonymity Thursday.

“The prime minister is keeping an old promise to Doctor Panda made after the operation. He has graciously accepted to come and visit the hospital this Saturday afternoon,” the official told IANS.

However, the official emphatically said that besides being “a purely private and personal visit” there is no other agenda lined up during his visit.

The visit, shrouded in secrecy since the past couple of months, is out of bounds for the media.

Later in the evening, Singh is scheduled to attend The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence-2012 at Hotel Trident, where he will interact with the captains of Indian business and industry.

The function in Hotel Trident comes barely a fortnight before the fourth anniversary of the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack when the hotel was brutally targeted by Pakistani terrorists.

IANS 2012-11-08 22:36:05