Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening and was being treated and monitored by a team of doctors, the Apollo Hospitals said on Sunday night.
After she suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, Ms Jayalalithaa was put on extracorporeal membrane heart assist device and the team of doctors attending on her quickly consulted British expert Dr Richard Beale, who had been treating her ever since she was admitted to the hospital on September 22.
“The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai, suffered a cardiac arrest this evening,” a medical bulletin issued by the Apollo Hospitals said. “She is being treated and monitored by a team of experts including cardiologists, pulmonologist and critical care specialists,” the statement further said.
Later in a series of tweets, the hospital said Ms Jayalalithaa is on extracorporeal membrane heart assist device and is being treated by a team of expert doctors and critical care specialists.
At the time of writing, a team of AIIMS doctors -- Dr G. Khilnani, Professor, Department of Pulmonology Medicine, Dr Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Dr Nitish Nayak, Professor, Department of Cardiology — was rushing to Chennai to join the doctors treating her.
Informed sources said the Chief Minister was shifted back to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Sunday evening. As soon as the news of Ms Jayalalithaa suffering a cardiac arrest spread, Acting Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao rushed to the city from Maharashtra, implying the gravity of the situation, and drove straight to the Apollo Hospitals.
Police presence at the Apollo Hospitals was beefed up since Sunday evening and it was further strengthened late in the night after the official bulletin was put out by the hospital that confirmed the Chief Minister had suffered a cardiac arrest.
DGP (in-charge) T K Rajendran and Chennai Police Commissioner George rushed to the hospital and were monitoring the situation. As ministers and party leaders rushed inside the hospital, cadres waited outside. “I only want my Amma to come back. I am sure she will come back much stronger. Amma is everything for the people of Tamil Nadu and for the AIADMK,” said a woman cadre, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Another cadre, who had come all the way from Ayanavaram after hearing the news that Ms Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest, said he would leave the hospital premises only after hearing the news that she is well. “I don’t want to hear anything other than the news that she has recovered. I only want that,” he said.
