Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest+ late on Sunday. She has been put on a heart assist device. Jayalalithaa has been in intensive care since September 22, after she complained of fever, dehydration and congestion. It had been announced on December 4 that she had made a full recovery.
“She (Jayalalithaa) is being treated and monitored by a team of experts, including pulmonologists, cardiologists and critical care specialists,” said Subbiah Viswanathan, COO of Apollo Hospitals, where Jayalalithaa has been receiving treatment.
Later, the hospital tweeted, “She was put on extracorporeal membrane heart assist device (a heart pump) and is being treated by a team of expert doctors and critical care specialists.”
Dr Richard Beale from London, who had earlier been consulted in the course of Jayalalithaa’s treatment, has concurred with the line of treatment by our cardiologists and pulmonologists, the hospital said.
In another tweet, the hospital made an emotional appeal requesting all to pray for her good health.
Earlier, sources in the hospital said she was moved back to the intensive care unit from her room, where she was shifted to on November 19.
Acting Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao visited the hospital in the early hours of Monday to enquire about Jayalalithaa’s health.
President Pranab Mukherjee+ tweeted, “Distressed to hear about CM Jayalalithaa suffering a cardiac arrest, my prayers for her speedy recovery.”
MK Stain tweeted that the intensive treatment being given to the CM should give positive results and wished her a speedy recovery.
Jaya TV, a network of television channels that function as Jayalalithaa’s mouthpiece, said categorically in a bulletin that the Chief Minister is indeed alive, presumably to fight rumours doing the rounds on social media and messaging platforms.
Police presence around the hospital was ramped up, as a large crowd of her supporters gathered outside the hospital+ . Some were seen making loud prayers. “She has fought even more bitter enemies. We are hoping and praying she will fight this one too,” one of the party members said.
68-year-old Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 with complaints of “fever and dehydration.” She was later put on ventilator and treated with antibiotics for infection and lung congestion. Later, doctors did a tracheostomy – made a hole in the wind pipe near the neck – so they didn’t have to put the tube through her mouth.
A team of doctors including UK-based intensivist Dr Richard Beale and doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, comprising pulmonologist Dr G Khilnani, anaesthesiologist Dr Anjan Trikha and cardiologist Dr Nitish Nayak, joined the team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals to treat her. Soon, she was on a regular, but high-protein, diet and given passive and active physiotherapy.
On November 19, doctors moved her to a personalised room which had facilities of an intensive care unit, including respiratory support. The room was a step-down intensive care unit, a kind of bridge between the intensive care unit and special ward or home. Besides ventilation, it was equipped with medicines and equipment for emergency care.
Last week, Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy said Jayalalithaa she was using a speaking aid as it was difficult for her to speak with the tracheostomy. (Agencies)