Our honourable chief minister J. Jayalalithaa was our beloved leader. I have always admired her many virtues. One of the things I liked about her was that if she wanted to get something done, she would pursue and make that happen, to perfection.
I have some very fond memories of my association with her. I remember the time I had just returned from the US, and was with the HM Hospital, she used to come to me for small ailments. She also brought one or two of her friends for treatment. Whenever she came, she had such a gentle smile on her face, which all the doctors remembered. She grew in stature with every passing year.
From the time she first came to our hospital in September, we have been with her throughout. In fact, I did not step out of Chennai in the last two months only because we cared for her deeply and wanted to do everything in our power to help her get well soon. Last week, before I went to Hyderabad for a one-day visit, I spoke to her. She was doing well and had the same gentle smile as always. She even watched a movie that day. And I told her that when I came back from Hyderabad, I would like to see her walk. We were even planning her discharge from the hospital, and we agreed to discuss it upon my return. I was shattered when I heard of her cardiac arrest when I returned. It was shocking because our cardiologists had been monitoring her closely, and the panel of specialists had not seen any major concerns in her cardiac reports right through her stay.
Our doctors were right next to her when she suffered the cardiac arrest. We talk about the golden hour when it comes to such attacks. Here, our doctors began treatment right from the very first second. The patients in the two rooms next to her were also on ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation]. They recovered well and went home. Unfortunately, we did not get that outcome in Madam CM’s case.
She was a very gentle, cooperative patient, and withstood immense pain with great grace.
She was an exceptional lady, a very loveable person. Even her anger was always in the cause of justice. Not just the people of her party and our state, millions across the country were beneficiaries of her policies and decisions, and she will always live on in our hearts.
The author is chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group
