Panaji, Union Minister of State for Defence and AYUSH Shripad Naik is currently stable, but his recovery could take a "long time", a Manipal Hospital doctor said here on Tuesday.

Consultant oncologist at Goa's Manipal Hospital and Naik's personal friend Dr Shekhar Salkar also said that Naik had tested negative for Covid-19 late on Monday and as per norms another test has been conducted to re-confirm his Covid status, results of which would be available late on Tuesday.

"He is good now. He is stable. He will need a long time to recover. It will not be a fast recovery," Dr Salkar told reporters, after a team of doctors appointed by the Union Health Ministry examined Naik at the private hospital near Panaji, where the Union minister has been admitted.

Dr Salkar also said that the central team of doctors had advised against shifting Naik to the national capital, saying relocation of a patient is a difficult procedure.

"They (central team of doctors) feel that he is quite okay as compared to yesterday. But he needs more time to recover. He has been told, he does not need to be shifted to Delhi as it is a difficult procedure," he said, adding that the central team of doctors would be examining Naik once again later on Tuesday.

Naik, a Lok Sabha MP from the North Goa parliamentary constituency tested positive for Covid on August 12 and was initially advised home isolation. He was shifted to Manipal Hospital near Panaji after his health condition worsened a few days later.

He has already been administered plasma as well as high flow nasal oxygen treatment.

On Monday, Naik's oxygen levels had dropped, after which Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant requested the Union Health Ministry to dispatch a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for examining the Union minister.

Dr Salkar said that Naik's oxygen levels had stabilised at around 95. "If he tests negative for Covid again after the second test, he would be shifted to the general ICU," Salkar said.

Naik's son Siddhesh said that he was in touch with his father over phone. "His condition is good, he is improving very much. I speak to him over phone regularly. He sounds good," Siddhesh Naik said.