British singer George Michael
George Michael is grateful to be alive. Reuters

A £100,000 bed, made for critically ill patients with lung disease, has saved the life of George Michael, who is battling severe pneumonia.

The bed was delivered to the intensive care unit at AKH Hospital in Vienna, Austria, according to the Sun.

"The bed has probably saved his life so far. But he is far from out of the woods yet," Dr. Carol Cooper told the paper.

Michael, 48, has developed a horrifying new complication that prevents oxygen from reaching the blood, the newspaper has quoted sources as saying.

Survivors may suffer memory loss or other mental problems during recovery due to lack of supply of oxygen to the brain. It is often accompanied by failure of other organs, like the kidney or liver.

However, a kidney specialist has reportedly been assigned to the medical team. Michael is believed to be on a special breathing machine.

The Triadyne Proventa "kinetic therapy" bed is for people who suffer from respiratory problems and are unable to move.

Michael is strapped in and kept in place by moulded foam, the newspaper said. The bed regularly bends tenderly from side to side, up to 40 degrees, which eases pressure on his lungs.

"With the lungs not functioning well, the heart has to pump harder to shift the blood around the body, which would make it harder to survive. This bed tries to get the lungs functioning as best they can. The movement helps shift secretions inside the lung to make sure they don't collect and make you worse. But if he is still being cared for like this, he is very seriously ill," Cooper said.

Meanwhile, Michael's friend Fadi Fawaz said: "Michael is doing well and is in good spirits - getting stronger all the time."

Michael was admitted to the hospital Nov. 21 and was advised to cancel the rest of his European tour.