At a time when the senior leaders in the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu are flexing muscles over claiming legacy of late former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, the party has silently chosen to settle her medical bills in the Apollo hospitals. A total of Rs 6 crore was paid by the party to the hospital on Friday, around six months after the death of Jayalalithaa.
“We decided not to use the peoples’ tax money but to pay it from the party treasury. We have settled our Amma’s medical bills in full and paid Rs 6 crore to Apollo hospitals by way of cheque,” Vaigaichelvan, AIADMK spokesperson told THE WEEK.
Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo on September 22, 2016 for “fever and dehydration” and was treated by a team of expert doctors from London, AIIMS and Chennai till December 5, 2016, when she breathed her last.
According to Dr Richard Beale, the UK based intensivist, who visited Jayalalithaa frequently during her 75 day hospitalisation, the former chief minister was treated for Sepsis. “Jayalalithaa came to the hospital with sepsis and she was conscious,” Dr Beale had told media in Chennai on February 5, when there were several allegations saying she was killed.
Dr Beale had also said that she had co-morbidities and uncontrolled diabetes. According to him, Jayalalithaa was put on ventilator as sepsis got worse and that the doctors had to give her sleeping medicines. “She was on ventilator and we had to give her sleeping medicines. She could not communicate and whenever she was awake she communicated only through signs,” he had said.
Trachaeostomy was also performed on her and she responded with sign language and lip reading. The hospitalisation extended for 75 days and required more advanced medical treatments as she became short of breath quite rapidly, according to Beale.
Dr P. Balaji, department head of Minimal Access Surgery, Madras Medical College had earlier said that Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation bill was Rs 5.5 crore and the same was forwarded to “her family”. It was speculated that her family would settle the bills, though as per the government protocol, the medical bills can be settled by the government.
Asked why the AIADMK chose to settle the bills when Dr Balaji had said that the bills were sent to her family, Vaigaichelvan said, “Amma is our leader and so the party chose to pay her medical bills.”
