Minutes after Apollo press con, Sasikala’s swearing-in announced

Two months after the demise of Tamil Nadu’s legendary Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the team of doctors who attended to her addressed the media today. Jayalalithaa was hospitalised in Apollo Hospitals for 72 days.

With several rumours and controversies surrounding Amma’s death, the media was in full attendance and full of questions. Dr Richard Beale, a London-based medical practitioner in intensive care medicine, was present at the press meet along with other doctors who attended to Jayalalithaa during her time at Apollo Hospital in Chennai. When asked about the timing of this press conference – it comes on the heels of VK Sasikala being elevated to the position of CM-elect – Dr Beale said, “I was always willing to come for a press meet and the government facilitated it now.”

Though it is not clear why it took two months for the state government and the hospital to conduct this press meet, the hour-long conference did answer a few questions. The doctors clarified that “there was no conspiracy” in the late CM’s death. Dr Beale clarified that Jayalalithaa underwent no surgery or amputation before she succumbed to cardiac arrest on December 5, 2016. It was also confirmed that Sasikala was provided with daily bulletins about Jayalalithaa’s health. Journalists aggressively questioned and counter-questioned the doctors, who evaded some of the questions posed to them. For instance, there was no explanation offered for why Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa’s niece, was denied permission to visit her aunt. The doctors said that they were here only to answer medical questions.

The doctors gave a detailed timeline of the sequence of events during Amma’s stay in Apollo. “She was on the road to recovery when she had a sudden cardiac arrest,” Dr Beale said. “Everything that could have been done was done by the doctors of Apollo hospital,” he added. Dr Babu said “Jayalalithaa’s treatment cost around Rs 5-5.5 Crore, the bill has been handed over to her family members.” The payment is yet to be made. It is still unclear about which “family” the doctor was referring to.

Minutes after the press conference, news came in that Sasikala will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu tomorrow. As per reports, the ceremony would take place at the Madras University hall, the same place where Amma was sworn-in.