False Spins Wove Curious Plots Till The Last Breath

When J. Jayalalitha바카라�s last days finally get written about, at least one chapter would be devoted to questions about the late Tamil Nadu chief minister바카라�s final leg of medical treatment and the secr­ecy surrounding it. The state government did eventually release a detailed note from Chennai바카라�s Apollo Hospitals and about the remedial measures adm­inistered to the AIADMK supr­emo by an expert team with the All Ind­ia Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. That was after the Opposition DMK and former CM O. Pann­eerselvam sought a probe into the details of illne­sses that plagued the 68-year-old leader and the therapeutics prescribed till her death on December 5 last year.

The 12-page discharge summary has turned out to be a double-edged wea­pon. It not only revealed the extent of Jayalalitha바카라�s illness with very poor prognosis, but also showed up how Apollo had concealed the real picture from the eyes of the public. 바카라�There is a huge gap between what Apollo said in its bulletins when Jayalalitha was adm­itted and the medical summary released after three months,바카라� says AIADMK MP V. Maithreyan, an oncologist, close to the party바카라�s Panneerselvam camp. 바카라�Both the hospital and the government owe an exp­lanation on why Jayalalitha바카라�s true condition was not disclosed.바카라�

The government바카라�s report came out on March 6 as both Jayalalitha바카라�s political opponents and die-hard loyalists dema­nded an inquiry into her illness, treatment and circumstances of the death. The demands had public resonance: there was a big turnout acr­oss the state when Pan­neer­se­lvam and his rebel AIA­DMK group바카라�s leaders observed fast on March 8, wanting a CBI investigation into 바카라�the mystery surrounding Amma바카라�s unti­mely death바카라�. The OPS faction is keeping up the heat on the issue, believing it will help increase its support base, especially among women, and sustain a 바카라�negative바카라� mood against V.K. Sasi­kala, the jailed former aide of Jayalalitha, ahead of a byelection next month.

It is now clear that the health bulletins were an exercise in brevity and vagueness. They stand in naked contrast to the details mentioned in the summary document. On September 23 last year, the day after Jayalalitha바카라�s admission, the bulletin stated the CM was admitted for fever and dehydration. 바카라�She has no fever now and is taking normal diet.바카라� But look what the summary says:  바카라�She was suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress and altered sensorium (being drowsy and not responding to verbal commands.) She was admitted in a very critical condition to the Multi Disciplinary Critical Care Unit (MDCCU). She had second degree AV (heart) block and severe bradycardia (slow heart beat) and hypotension (low BP).바카라�

Could a patient in ICU with such complications consume a normal diet? 바카라�Very difficult,바카라� admits a senior physician of the 1983-founded hospital, headquartered in the Tamil Nadu capital. 바카라�No doctor would risk putting any additional strain on the patient.바카라�

On the third day, Jayalalitha 바카라�held discussions바카라� with officials on a Supreme Court hearing on Cauvery, claimed a state government release. But she continued to be in ICU, was barely conscious and struggling to breathe without support, according to the health summary. What바카라�s more, further investigations rev­ealed she was suffering from septic shock and a serious heart ailment affecting her mitral valve. Barring doctors and medical staff no one had any access to her.

바카라�Her clinical course deteriorated later during the ICU stay (day 4 of hospital stay) when she started to develop significant audible wheeze and significant tachypnea (abnormal rapid breathing.) As 바카라�her respiratory dynamics worsened바카라� Jayalalitha was put on a ventilator on September 28. But this development was communicated through the bulletin only on October 3, which finally talked of 바카라�respiratory support바카라�.

Similarly, a bulletin issued on October 2바카라�after London-based expert Richard Beale first visited the CM on September 30바카라�concluded she was 바카라�responding well바카라� and 바카라�has been advised a few more days stay in the hospital for treatment바카라�. The medical summary gives a totally different picture: 바카라�Dr Beale counselled the family and government officials about the nature of the problems, need for prolonged ICU and hospital stay and guarded prognosis. He was of the opinion that considering her overall condition she carries a mortality of 40 per cent.바카라�

Only on October 6, in its two-page bulletin that lists various experts treating Jayalalitha, does Apollo finally acknowledge that the CM will require a longer stay in the hospital. And, by inference, it confirms what Dr Beale had counselled six days earlier.

The Apollo bulletins came to a sudden halt after October 8. Three weeks later, doctors went on to claim that Jayalalitha was conscious. That was on October 28, when she 바카라�affixed her thumb impression to the forms to allot her party바카라�s symbols to candidates of three byelections바카라�. The Apollo summary is silent about her condition on that particular day, adding to speculations that the patient was not aware of the procedure.

The hospital issued no bulletin in Nov­ember. Instead only its chairman, Pratap C. Reddy claimed on different days that Jayalalitha was recovering well, aware of her surroundings, removed of ventilator and would decide when to return home. On November 19, the AIADMK spokesperson revealed that she had been moved to a private room바카라�a step down from the ICU. It was here that she suffered a card­iac arrest on December 4 and was rushed back to the MDCCU, where she died the next day바카라�after 75 days in hospital.

The Apollo summary also stated that Jayalalitha바카라�s 바카라�past medical history was significant for multiple medical problems including obesity, hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes, hypo­thyroidism, irritable bowel syndr­ome with chronic diarrhoea and chronic seasonal bronchitis바카라�. The state health secretary바카라�s clarification further nails the fact that Jayalalitha had refused to take insulin shots for her uncontrolled diabetes. 바카라�Except for corticosteroids administered for atopic dermatitis,바카라� she was 바카라�only taking oral hypoglycemic and anti-­hypertensive drugs to control pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hyper tension.바카라�

When Outlook asked Subbiah Viswa­nathan, the Apollo COO who had signed most of the bulletins, why there was such a discrepancy between the bulletins and the summary, he passed on the question to Mohan Dass, the hospital바카라�s media relations manager. He had this to say: 바카라�There is so much happening; so better to keep quiet for a while. If at all we talk to the media, we will call you. We will put you on to the doctors at the appropriate time.바카라�

According to a senior doctor in the Apollo team that treated Jayalalitha, the health bulletins were always vetted by plastic surgeon K.S. Sivakumar, a relative of Sasikala. 바카라�If the public and the press got to see only the barest minimum in the bulletins, the hospital is not to be blamed. The flow of information was controlled by someone else,바카라� says the doctor who doesn바카라�t want to reveal his identity.

Even when the specialists met the media finally in February 6, there was no full disclosure. Today, the medical summary finally reveals that Jayalalitha was seriously ill from the day she got adm­itted for 바카라�fever and dehydration바카라�.

Former Assembly speaker P.H. Pandian says Tamils did not anyway believe whatever was 바카라�doled out바카라� about Jayalalithaa being given the 바카라�best바카라� of treatment. A senior police officer cla­ims most women are 바카라�averse바카라� to Sasikala. Reason: they believe she and her relatives deliberately failed to take care of Jaya­lalitha when it was apparent that the actress-turned-politician was in poor health ever since she was jailed in a wealth case in September 2014.

With the bypoll to Jayalalitha바카라�s cons­tituency RK Nagar to be held on April 12, 바카라�Amma바카라�s mysterious death and Sasikala바카라�s role in it바카라� could become integral to the  OPS faction바카라�s campaign. The voters seem to echo a similar sentiment. 바카라�We elected Amma from here and it became a VIP constituency,바카라� says Kalai Selvi, a fruit vendor opposite the Tondiarpet branch of Apollo. 바카라�But we do not trust Sasikala and cannot be expected to support a candidate she selects. First Sasikala has to answer our doubts over Amma바카라�s death.바카라�

It was to counter such suspicion and snowballing propaganda the Edapadi Palanisami administration released the discharge summary. The exercise is pro­ving to be counter-productive. What바카라�s more, AIADMK deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran and the ruling faction face ano­ther hurdle, as the OPS group has challenged Sasikala바카라�s continuance as the party general secretary and all her acti­ons subsequent to the intra-party revolt. This move is to highlight the temporary nature of her appointment and thus und­ermine Sasikala바카라�s authority to sign the election papers of the AIADMK바카라�s official contestant for the bypoll allotting him the party symbol.

바카라�OPS and his friends want to freeze the 바카라�two leaves바카라� symbol on the one hand even while swearing loyalty to Amma,바카라� says senior AIADMK legislator P. Vetrivel, who had vacated the RK Nagar seat for Jayalalithaa to fight the 2015 byelection. 바카라�If the Election Commission applies the Samajwadi Party formula to decide on which is the real AIADMK, we are confident that the one led by Chinamma (Sasikala) will earn that recognition in view of the number of MLAs, MPs and district secretaries who have accepted her leadership.바카라�

The byelection will turn out to be a fight for Jayalalitha바카라�s political legacy as her niece Deepa Jayakumar has also thrown her hat into the ring. Obviously, there is more drama left in the story.

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Hide & Seek

What the public was fed about Jaya바카라�s health turns out untrue

Claim: J. Jayalalitha admitted on September 22 for fever and hydration

Fact: The Apollo summary says she was very critical. And was suffering from infection and dehydration, accompanied by respiratory distress and altered sensorium (being drowsy and not responding to verbal commands).

Claim: On the third day she held discussions with officials on Supreme Court hearing on Cauvery

Fact: She continued to be in ICU, was barely conscious and struggling to breathe without support. Further investigations reveal she was suffering from septic shock and a serious heart ailment affecting her mitral valve.

Claim: Denying that she was ill, Jayalalithaa had sued Tamil biweekly Nakkeeran and Rediff.com for publishing reports about her poor health and possibility of going abroad for treatment.

Fact: The Apollo summary stated that 바카라�past medical history was significant for multiple medical problems including obesity, hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes, hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome with chronic diarrhoea and chronic seasonal bronchitis.바카라�

Claim: The Apollo bulletins issued during her hospital stay and after London-based expert Richard Beale바카라�s first visit had claimed that she was responding to treatment.

Fact: The Apollo summary now reveals that Dr Beale had given Jayalalithaa only a sixty per cent chance of surviving.

Claim: Doctors had claimed that Jayalalithaa was conscious on Oct 28 when she affixed her thumb impression to the forms to allot her party바카라�s symbols to candidates of three bypolls.

Fact: The Apollo report is silent about her condition on that particular day, adding to speculations that she was not aware of the procedure.

Claim: In late November, Apollo Chairman Prathap C. Reddy claimed that Jayalalitha had completely recovered and the timing of her going home would be at her choosing

Fact: Her heart condition was nowhere near normal for a discharge. That came true when she suffered a cardiac arrest on Dec 4, leading to her death next day.