Jayalalithaa death probe good move: Apollo Hospitals

Chennai: Apollo Hospitals, where J. Jayalalithaa was admitted for 75 days, on Thursday welcomed the inquiry instituted by the Tamil Nadu government into the death of the former chief minister and hoped that the findings of the commission will "put to rest all the unfounded speculation."

In a statement hours after the announcement by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Apollo Hospitals spokesperson said the inquiry was a "good move".

"The team at Apollo Hospitals who relentlessly fought to save her, is confident that the committee will bring to light the outstanding treatment and care she received from the hospital's eminent doctors, as well as senior doctors and experts from the city of Chennai, AIIMS Delhi, UK, USA and Singapore," the spokesperson said.

The hospital also said it was their "greatest regret" that despite the "highest standards of care provided", Jayalalithaa could not be saved.  "It is our sincerest wish that finally, the findings of the committee will put to rest all the unfounded speculation in this regard," the statement said.

The hospital and its chairman Dr C. Prathap Reddy have been maintaining that they have "nothing to hide" and that they were prepared to face any probe instituted by the Tamil Nadu government.

As questions were raised about Jayalalithaa's death and allegations flew thick and fast that very little information was shared with the public on her hospitalisation and health history, Apollo Hospital way back in January announced that it was open for a probe and would cooperate with any agency.
And in February, doctors from the hospital who were part of the team that treated Jayalalithaa appeared before the media along with Dr Richard Beale, the British specialist who examined the leader four times.

The hospital had been maintaining that the treatment was "transparent" and that every minute detail was shared with three doctors from AIIMS, New Delhi, were also part of the team that took care of her.

Reddy, the chairman of the hospital, had on February 3 said the treatment given to Jayalalithaa at his hospital is an "open book" and maintained that world-class medical attention was rendered to her through her 75-day admission in the facility.