On Monday, after a period of two months, the doctors of Apollo hospital who treated former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa held a press conference in Chennai to dispel rumors surrounding her death. After Apollo Chairman, Dr. Pratap C Reddy assured that Jayalalitha treatment reports will be made public. They revealed what happened a day before Jaya’s death.
Dr. Richard Beale, the consultant intensivist from the London Bridge Hospital, who attended to Jayalalithaa for several weeks during her hospitalization, addressed the media in Chennai and assured that there was no conspiracy behind her death.
Jayalalithaa had come to the hospital with sepsis and was conscious, Dr. Beale told reporters adding that she had co-morbidities and uncontrolled diabetes.
Jayalalithaa’s Interactions In Hospital:
“At the beginning, when she was unwell, she was not able to interact. Later on, the situation improved and she was aware and able to interact more. Later we talked about many things what she likes to watch on TV, rehab, etc. She couldn’t speak clearly, but she could mouth, I could understand very well, she was cooperating really well.”
Dr. Babu Abraham gave a timeline on Jayalalithaa’s health condition. He said, “On September 22, Jayalalithaa was admitted at 10.30 p.m. and immediately given critical and supportive care.” She was short of breath at home and the ambulance was called. He further said at that time, the diagnosis was “respiratory failure due to infection.”
On asked if Jayalalithaa spoke with anyone else, Dr. Babu said she would speak with Sasikala. “But she was not the only one,” he responded. The then CM would be asked if she’d like to meet people and only then allowed them, he said.
Jayalalitha Last Hours:
HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:
- When asked about the Madras High Court’s suggestion that Amma’s body be exhumed he said that it was ‘ridiculous’.
- The only thing extraordinary about this medical case was that the patient was extraordinary: Dr. Beale
- I have seen this course of events happen many times…There is nothing unusual about this case from a medical perspective: Dr. Beale
- It’s now that the government chose to facilitate it, and when we were available: Dr. Richard Beale, on why the press conference was held after such a long gap.
- We spoke about what she liked to watch the TV, food, rehabilitation, and about my children: Dr. Beale recalls the last things he spoke to Jayalalithaa about.
- Apollo’s doctors were briefing Sasikala and government officials: Dr. Balaji on who was being briefed about Jayalalithaa’s health.
- It was a sudden, witnessed cardiac arrest: Dr. Babu on the sudden deterioration in Jayalalithaa’s health.
- Upon waking up, she refused to be moved out of the hospital: Dr. Beale
- When asked about why she was not shifted to London, Dr. Beale said that Apollo team is highly equipped
- Jaya was intermittently conscious: Dr. Beale
- Jayalalithaa was conscious, I spoke to her when she gave thumb impression for EC forms says Dr. Balaji of Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals.
- Bacterial infection in blood was an underlying problem. Infection spread to organs, led to shortness of breath: Dr. Richard
- Honorable Amma was suffering from an infection, sepsis set in, bacteria in blood subsequently attached to the heart: Dr. Richard Beale.
- No amputation or transplantation was done on her: Dr. Beale
- We don’t have CCTV in patients’ rooms. You do not take photo of critically ill patients: Dr. Richard Beale
- Dr. Ramesh was present when she suffered cardiac arrest and immediately started resuscitation
- Jayalalithaa became short of breath suddenly: Dr. Richard Beale
- Body was embalmed as it had to be kept for public display
- There was a possibility of the stench emanating from the body. MGR too was embalmed
- Jayalalithaa was conscious, I spoke to her when she gave thumb impression for EC forms says Dr. Balaji of Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals
- At the beginning, when she was unwell, she wasn’t able to interact. Later, situation improved she was aware and able to interact more: Dr. Beale
- Not a normal practice to photograph patient &publish private details. It is an intrusion into her privacy: Dr.Richard Beale
- Jayalalithaa was treated with non-invasive inhalation. Initial condition improved somewhat. She was conscious: Dr. Beale
Referred to popularly as the “London doctor”, Dr. Beale was brought in on September 30, eight days after Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital.