JOIN USDoctor says no conspiracy in Jaya's treatment
In a bid to dispel rumours about J Jayalalithaa’s health during hospitalisation, UK expert Dr Richard Beale, who treated the former chief minister, on Monday clarified that there was no conspiracy in the treatment given to her.
“The treatment was perfectly straightforward and there is no conspiracy in it. It was a sudden cardiac arrest,” Dr Beale said, addressing a press conference.
The interaction was organised by the state government ahead of AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala’s swearing in as the chief minister.
Dr Beale, who was accompanied by Dr Balaji, a government doctor, and Dr Babu Abraham of Apollo Hospital, claimed that he interacted with Jayalalithaa several times over the course of the treatment.
“I discussed a lot of things with her. She also used to watch television,” he said.
Dismissing speculations of foul play, Dr Beale, who was flying between London and Chennai for the treatment, said he also had plans to shift Jayalalithaa to the UK for further treatment.
“We discussed in considerable length taking her to London. However, she (Jayalalithaa) did not wish to move,” Dr Beale said, adding “it was a matter of her choice”.
The UK expert also said that Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala was very supportive during the treatment.
The team also said Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on September 22 and was incubated at the ICU.
“A few days later, her health started improving. She started communicating using signs. She also met a few people, including the governor of Tamil Nadu. However, she was diagnosed with sepsis, which led to organ failure,” Dr Balaji said.
Final hours
In Jayalalithaa’s final hours in the hospital, Dr Balaji said, “She had a cardiac arrest at 5 pm on December 4, and doctors were present in her room at that time. As we did not get the heartbeat, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) was given. However, even after 24 hours, it was just the machine that was working.”
According to the doctors, the total medical bill for treating Jayalalithaa was between Rs 5 and Rs 5.5 crore, which was handed to her relatives.