Press Release Statement From TN Health And Family Welfare Department About Jayalalithaa’s Treatment!

When the rumors about the death of the late CM “ Jayalalithaa Jayalalithaa Jayaram, more popularly known as Pura >> Read More... ,” had been creating serious issues in the state, the Principal Secretary to Government Health and Family Welfare Department has released a press statement. Here is the statement for your view:

There has been speculation in the media and statements by some political leaders regarding the circumstances leading to the hospitalization of the late Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi J Jayalalithaa, the nature of the medical treatment provided and the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of the late leader. In addition to its own records, the Government of Tamil Nadu have obtained the treatment records from the Apollo Hospital and the medical reports from the visiting team from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.  These have been studied in detail and their contents are mutually consistent and in consonance with the earlier information provided by Government of Tamil Nadu to the Hon’ble High Court of Madras.

Apollo Hospital received a call at around 10 pm on 22^nd September, 2016 from the residence of the late Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and when the ambulance reported there and they found that the late Hon’ble Chief Minister was breathless with low oxygen saturation resulting in drowsiness.  She was immediately admitted to Apollo Hospital, Greams Road, Chennai. On evaluation,the late Hon’ble Chief Minister was diagnosed to be suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress. There were pre-existing co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, asthmatic bronchitis and hypothyroidism, but clearly the treatment report of Apollo Hospital, as well as that of AIIMS do not mention any evidence of trauma or any other event as alleged by certain political leaders. 

From then onwards, the late Hon'ble Chief Minister was continuously under the care and treatment of a team of experts from the Apollo Hospitals consisting of the Critical Care Group, Senior Cardiologists,Senior Respiratory Physicians,Consultants from the Infectious Diseases department,a Senior Endocrinologist and a Diabetologist. The nutrition and the essential nutrient intake was attended to by Senior Consultants from the Dietary team. Physiotherapy was provided by the physiotherapists from the Apollo hospitals and the special team of physiotherapists from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore.

Apollo Hospital also obtained an expert opinion from Dr.Richard Beale, an international specialist and consultant from the Guy's and St.Thomas Hospital London. The Government of Tamil Nadu also constituted vide GO (D) No 1368 dated 30.9.2016, a five member team of Government specialist doctors to be stationed at Apollo Hospital to provide required assistance and to co-ordinate with the team of specialists giving treatment to the late Hon’ble Chief Minister.

At the request of Government of Tamil Nadu, a team of specialists headed by Dr.G.C.Khilnani, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorder was deputed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS),  New Delhi, for consultations on the treatment being administered by  the team of doctors at Apollo hospitals, who were treating the late Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The dates of the visit of experts from AIIMS are given below.

Certain insinuations have been made that administration of wrong drugs over a period of time prior to hospitalization had led to health complications for the late Honorable Chief Minister.  In this context, the medical reports indicate that except for corticosteroids administered for atopic dermatitis, the late Hon’ble Chief Minister was only taking oral hypoglycemic and anti-hypertensive drugs to control pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hyper tension.

While in hospital, the late Hon’ble Chief Minister had responded well to the multi-disciplinary care in the Critical Care Unit of the Apollo Hospital.  The late Hon’ble Chief Minister interacted with family and Government officials on some important issues including the Cauvery issue.  The late Hon’ble Chief Minister’s clinical course deteriorated later and subsequently recovered substantially to being able to take food orally.On this basis,late Hon'ble Chief Minister was shifted from the advanced Critical Care Unit of the Apollo Hospital to the High Dependency Unit of the Apollo Hospital where her health and vitals continued to improve under the close monitoring by the panel of experts. This improvement in the late Hon’ble Chief Minister’s health condition is brought out in the reports of the AIIMS teams which visited on 13.10.2016 to 15.10.2016 and again on 3.12.2016.

On the doubts expressed by some quarters on the quality of treatment provided to the late Hon’ble Chief Minister, the AIIMS reports have consistently concurred with the line of treatment being provided by Apollo Hospitals and have specifically commended the “meticulous medical management imparted by the treating team” in the visit report for the period 5.10.2016 to 7.10.2016.  Thereafter in the report on 3.12.2016, the AIIMS team had appreciated the high quality care imparted by the treating doctors.  Hence, it is clear that the best possible medical care was afforded to the late Hon’ble Chief Minister.

Unfortunately, the late Hon'ble Chief Minister suffered a massive cardiac arrest on the evening of the 4th December 2016, even while the intensivist from the Apollo Hospital was in her room. The late Hon'ble Chief Minister was administered resuscitation and provided Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation(ECMO) support within the hour. Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival as per prescribed medical protocols. A team of doctors, including experts from Apollo and AIIMS assessed the situation.  It was clinically concluded that there was no heart function and there was also no neurological improvement denoting futility of life support.  Hence, after following all procedures the position was conveyed to senior Ministers and Political Leaders (Thiru O Panneerselvam, DrVijayabhaskar, Thiru M. Thambidurai), MsSasikala, andGovernment Officials (Chief Secretary and Health Secretary).  All of them understood the situation and asked the medical team to act as per the standard protocol. The late Hon’ble Chief Minister passed away at 1130 PM on 5.12.2016.

            Although under the Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics for registered medical practitioners,namely  the Indian Medical Council (Professional conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, medical practitioners as part of their duty to the patients are not bound to reveal details related to patients, given the need to put at rest needless speculation relating to the circumstances surrounding the hospitalization, treatment and sad demise of the late Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the Government have decided to make public the discharge summary received from Apollo Hospitals and the medical reports received from AIIMS, New Delhi.

Dr.J.Radhakrishnan, IAS

Principal Secretary to Government

Health and Family Welfare Department

Government of Tamil Nadu

Issued: Director of Information and Public Relations, Chennai - 9