No errors found in treatment given to Jayalalithaa: AIIMS team

Treatment provided to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals here during her 75-day hospitalisation was “as per correct medical practice” and no errors have been found in the care provided to her, a medical board consisting of doctors from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has concluded.

The conclusion by the seven-member medical board appointed under the direction of the Supreme Court puts to rest speculation about the treatment provided to Jayalalithaa. After her death on December 5, 2016, Tamil Nadu was gripped with intense speculation about her hospitalisation in Apollo Hospitals which was “shrouded in secrecy”.

The Supreme Court appointed the medical board while hearing a case filed by Apollo Hospitals against the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission tasked with probing into the circumstances that led to the death of Jayalalithaa. The team was led by Dr Sandeep Seth and consisted of Dr Anant Mohan, Dr Vimi Rewari Professor, Deptt. of Anaesthesiology, Dr Milind Hote, Dr Rajesh Khadgawat Professor, Deptt. of Endocrinology, Dr Abhishek Yadav, and Dr Ananth Naveen K Reddy.

After reviewing the temporal sequence of events, the medical team found the sequence to be factually correct. “The treatment of the former CM was as per correct medical practice and no errors have been found in the care provided,” the medical team concluded in its report, a copy of which was accessed by DH. Apollo Hospitals has all along maintained that it provided the right treatment to Jayalalithaa and that there was no foul play.

It also said there was also evidence of heart failure and uncontrolled diabetes at admission which was treated. “There was also a history of hypertension, hypothyroid, asthamatic bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and atopic dermatitis,” the report said.

The commission’s appointment in 2017 was more political than out of concerns to “clear any doubt” as O Panneerselvam had made this a prerequisite for merging his faction with the one led by Edappadi K Palaniswami. The panel heard all the statements of the witnesses called by various parties and went through all the documents made available by the Justice Arumughaswamy commission. It also reviewed the medical records of the Apollo Hospital where Jayalalitha received treatment.

Noting that there was an improvement in Jayalalithaa’s health condition in November from the time she was admitted, the report said AIIMS doctors did examine her on December 3. However, the next day she suffered a cardiac arrest after which ECMO was maintained for 24 hours.

“On 5th December 2016, death was declared by the treating team as per correct medical protocol with the Apollo team and doctors from AIIMS examining and finding no brain or heart activity. Death was declared at 11:30 pm,” the report added.

The Commission has so far examined 150 witnesses, including Jayalalithaa’s official and personal staff. V K Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s long-time friend, had submitted a voluminous response, narrating her side of the story and how her conviction by a Bengaluru court in 2014 triggered a host of health issues for the former chief minister.

Jayalalithaa’s death is one of the most politicised issues in Tamil Nadu in the past few years with DMK also demanding a “fair probe” into the AIADMK leader’s demise. The DMK also raked up Jayalalithaa’s death in the run-up to the polls and at one time, the party also demanded a CBI probe.