Allow us to grieve father’s death: SPB’s son makes an emotional appeal

S P Charan, son of late playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, on Monday, made an emotional appeal to those spreading “rumours” on the celebrity’s death to allow them to grieve his father’s death. He also said that the hospital refused to take money from the family when they asked for pending bills before transferring the mortal remains of the singer to his residence.

Maintaining that the financial transactions between the family and the hospital were confidential, Charan refuted reports that the hospital refused to release his father’s body until the balance amount was paid. Charan maintained that SPB’s family was consulted at every stage on the late singer’s treatment protocol and that “we were and are happy” about the hospital stay.

“After my father passed away, our accountant went and asked for the pending bills so that he can make the payment. But the hospital management told them they will not accept any money…We have been paying the bills every week and one portion of the treatment was covered by insurance,” he said.

Charan was addressing a press conference along with doctors from MGM Healthcare, where SPB was treated for Covid-19 for 52 days after social media was flooded with messages that the family could not mobilise the balance amount to be paid to the hospital which had “refused to release the body” without making the payment.

On Sunday, Charan had dismissed the messages as “hogwash” and had appealed to the people not to spread such rumours which were “hurtful.” He also contacted Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan to clarify whether the state government’s offer of “any help” included financial assistance too.

“It has just been three days and we have been forced to come and clarify these things. Allow us to mourn…Do I take care of my mother or keep clarifying about rumours that keep coming on the social media. We should be allowed to grieve,” Charan said.

He also said the family was planning to construct a grand memorial for SPB at the farmhouse where he was laid to rest on Saturday. “Till the time the memorial is up, we are also planning to open up the place for people to come and pay their respects. I will make an announcement in this regard in the next two to three days,” Charan said.

To a question on demands for conferring Bharat Ratna on his father, he said it was for the government to decide.

Dr Sabanayagam V, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead-Multidisciplinary Intensive Care, MGM Healthcare, said a “severe infection” 48 hours before SPB’s death led to the deterioration in his health. “There were signs of severe infection and usually antibiotics will be helpful in treating the infection, but in his case, it was not so. And 24 hours before his death, we noticed bleeding in his brain and finally he suffered a cardio-respiratory attack,” he said.