Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9 (IANS): Two-time Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, presently admitted to a leading private hospital with pneumonia is recovering well, a doctor said on Thursday.

The doctor, who called on him, said he was found Chandy sitting in a chair, reading the newspaper, and that he looked cheerful.

The 79-year-old was admitted to the hospital on Monday with fever and that too after his younger brother Alex V. Chandy and others expressed concern on his treatment protocol and sought the urgent intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Chandy has been suffering from throat cancer and has been undergoing treatment for the past few years.

Recently being treated at a Bengaluru hospital, he had returned on January 1 and was supposed to return there, but, according to his younger brother, further treatment was denied and he was not taken to Bengaluru.

Following the controversy, Vijayan asked Health Minister Veena George to take appropriate action and she has constituted a high level medical team of government doctors who are overseeing the present treatment and further treatment.

It remains to be seen if Chandy will be taken to Bengaluru for further treatment.