The health condition of former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff improved yesterday although he remained in a critical condition after suffering from heart failure on Monday, according to his medical team.

The former Labour leader spent his second day at Mater Dei Hospital’s Critical Coronary Care Unit where he was admitted with congestive heart failure and dehydration, the doctors said in a statement issued by the Department of Information.

“He is showing signs of improvement. However his condition remains critical,” they said.

Mr Mintoff was admitted to hospital at midnight on Monday. His diagnosed condition, heart failure, occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. As the pumping action is lost, blood may back up in other areas of the body, causing fluid to build up in the lungs, the liver, the gastrointestinal tract and the arms and legs.

This is the second acute admission for the 94-year-old in less than two months. He was admitted on September 16 in a confused state after suffering a light stroke. He was also treated for suspected pneumonia.