Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was admitted to a private hospital on Saturday with breathing problems.

He was put on mechanical ventilator support at the critical care unit of the private hospital, UNI reported.

Bhattacharya has been suffering from COPD and other old age-related ailments for quite some time.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor C V Ananda Bose visited Bhattacharya in the hospital.

Bhattacharya, a senior Communist leader, remained the Chief Minister between 2001-2011.