Chennai: “@sushmaSwaraj Although with responsibility of a 5 year-old-son, I can offer my kidney to u for nation’s good. I m O+. May Allah s.w.t help u!,” Ali Imran Naqvi tweeted. He is not alone. There are hundreds of others who spontaneously responded in similar vein when the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, admitted to AIIMS on November 15, tweeted that she was on dialysis and needed to undergo a kidney transplant.
Her frank admission about her health condition appears to have made her probably the first major politician to be so transparent about her health. When it comes to availing treatment, ministers invariably keep their health condition under wraps or gag the media while preferring treatment at corporate hospitals rather than get admitted to a general hospital. In the Tamil Nadu of the ’70s, matinee idol and former Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran underwent treatment at the Apollo Hospitals. His protégé and current Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has also been undergoing treatment at the same Apollo hospital since September 22 for fever and dehydration to begin with.
When he was Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi too had undergone treatment at Apollo Hospital and on November 13 former DMK Minister Duraimurugan underwent treatment briefly at the same hospital. Freedom fighter and Home Minister in Kamaraj cabinet, P. Kakkan may have been the lone exception as he got himself admitted to Government Rajaji Hosptial in Madurai.
Nevertheless, Ms. Sushma's tweet on her health status fetched her 11,586 re-tweets and 26,670 likes. “@SushmaSwaraj Mam If you wish. I am ready to donate my kidney for you. Nation needs your services,” tweeted her follower Nikhil Dadhich. A host of dignitaries wished Ms Sushma a speedy recovery and expressed the hope that would return back to her official work.
Appearing not to lose time in responding to the wishes, she tweeted “ some friends have also offered their kidneys for my transplant. I have no words to express my deep sense of gratitude towards them.” “My heartfelt thanks for your kind words and good wishes,” she said in another tweet.
