Chennai: In what could possibly end the controversy surrounding the prolonged hospitalisation and death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has concluded there was no error in the treatment administered to her.
“The treatment of the former CM was as per correct medical practice and no errors have been found in the care provided,” the AIIMS medical board, constituted at the behest of the Supreme Court, said in the report submitted to Justice Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, which is probing the late leader’s death.
Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals in an unconscious condition on the night of September 22, 2016. She died 75 days later. In February 2017, her successor in Government O Panneerselvam raised doubts over her death following his rebellion against Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala, who lived in her Poes Garden bungalow. The then Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had constituted a Commission of Inquiry as per Panneerselvam’s demand.
Midway during the inquiry, the Apollo Hospitals had obtained a stay order from the Supreme Court. Late last year the apex court had allowed the inquiry to go on but said an AIIMS medical board would assist the Commission and submit a report.
The three-page report of the AIIMS experts was shared with a select group of journalists on Saturday by certain sources linked to a stakeholder.
“There was also evidence of heart failure. There was uncontrolled diabetes at admission which was treated. There was also a history of hypertension, hypothyroid, asthmatic bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and atopic dermatitis. The medical panel at AIIMS agrees with the above final diagnosis,” the report said on the condition of Jayalalithaa.
A day prior to her death, Jayalalithaa had suffered from “increased breathlessness,” the doctors said, adding “the ventilation was restarted”. However, the same day she suffered from cardiac arrest on CPR followed by ECMO insertion. “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 declared at 11:30 pm, 5/12/2016,” the report said.
