Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa critical after cardiac arrest, put on heart-assist device

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday night at Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals, is said to be in critical condition.

She is now under the observation of a special team of doctors at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

Apollo Hospitals, in a tweet late last night, said doctors were closely monitoring Jayalalithaa’s condition and trying their “very best”.

“Our doctors are closely monitoring Hon’ble CM’s condition and they are trying their very best,” Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals, tweeted.

The Chief Minister was put on extracorporeal membrane heart assist device (a heart pump) on Sunday and continues to be on it.

Centre on Monday dispatched a team of specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Science to Apollo Hospital. Four specialists from AIIMS will soon be reaching Apollo Hospital, Health Minister J P Nadda said.

“We are in constant touch with Apollo and Tamil Nadu Government. They had requested a team of doctors from AIIMS. We have sent a team of specialists from AIIMS Dr Khilani, Dr Trikha, Dr Narang and Dr Talwar. We hope that doctors from AIIMS and Apollo will be able to help in her recovery. We pray to God that she regains her health,” Nadda said.

The team of AIIMS doctors include pulmonologist Dr GC Khilnani, anaesthetist Dr Anjan Trikha, cardiac surgeon Dr Sachin Talwar and cardiologist Dr Rajiv Narang. Eminent cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan will be heading the team.

Nadda said the doctors would decide the line of treatment and that he has no plans as of now to travel to Chennai. “We are constantly in touch with the hospital authorities and officials of the state government in Chennai. We have sent a team of doctors and are constantly monitoring the situation,” Nadda said.

Since the Chief Minister’s health is critical and rumours about her health doing the rounds, Apollo Hospitals is expected to issue health bulletins on a regular basis.

British expert Dr Richard Beale, Consultant Intensivist at the Guys and Thomas Hospital in London, is being consulted over Skype and mobile phone on a regular basis. He has concurred with the current line of treatment being given to Jayalalithaa. Dr Beale had examined the Chief Minister thrice in the past three months and is one of the senior members of the team that was attending on Jayalalithaa.

Security has been beefed up across the state with the Tamil Nadu DGP ordering all police officers and personnel to report for duty by 7 am for deployment.

Jayalalithaa, who has been undergoing treatment at the hospital since September 22, suffered a cardiac arrest last evening.

“She is being treated and monitored by a team of experts, including cardiologists, pulmonologist and critical care specialists,” Chief Operating Officer and head of transformation of Apollo Hospital Dr Subbaiah Viswanathan said in the statement yesterday.

Soon after the Apollo Hospitals statement came, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and enquired about Jayalalithaa’s health.

Rao, who is also Governor of Maharashtra, rushed to Chennai from Mumbai and went to the hospital.

Ministers and top police officials also rushed to the hospital and held informal consultations on the situation.

Heavy deployment of police was made at the hospital on Greams Road where thousands of supporters of ‘Amma’ (mother), as she is fondly called by her supporters, and AIADMK cadre had gathered on hearing the news.

In a communication to ADGPs of Enforcement, CB-CID, Economic Offences Wing and Crime wings, the Director General of Police’s office asked them to “mobilise all the officers in the rank of SPs and police personnel of other ranks of Enforcement, CBCID, EOW and Crime completely and they should report” to SPs and Commissioners of Police at 7 AM. “They should report in full uniform with their vehicles for law and order bandobust duty until further orders,” it said.

Jayalalithaa was hospitalised on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. The hospital, which had been issuing bulletins on her health status, had later said she was being treated for infection with respiratory support, among others.

Meanwhile, all AIADMK MLAs have rushed to Chennai and are waiting for instructions from the party headquarters.