Chennai: Two weeks after Justice A Arumughasamy commission, probing the circumstances leading to death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, directed Apollo hospital to furnish reports in connection with treatment provided to late Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran, in the hospital before he was airlifted to US for further treatment 34-years ago, the hospital on Tuesday filled the report. The commission will conduct a hearing on the report on Wednesday.
MGR, who fell sick on October 5, 1984, was admitted at Apollo Hospitals and on November 5, he was taken to Brooklyn hospital in the U.S for further treatment. He died in 1987. In the sudden twist the commission sought the report from the hospital on treatment provided to MGR. It may be noted that the commission earlier wished to know reasons for not taking Jaya from Apollo hospital to foreign countries for treatment and regarding this it sought opinion of Apollo hospital doctors, IAS officers and others. Former chief secretary Rama Mohana Rao had reportedly informed the commission that the idea of shifting Jayalalithaa to foreign countries for treatment turned futile, as certain ministers did not respond.
The commission two week ago sent a letter to Apollo hospital seeking to furnish details treatment provided to MGR in the hospital and officials, who permitted MGR to be flown to US for further treatment. The commission has directed the hospital to provide the information by October 23.
According to sources, the commission may wish to get details regarding the circumstances led to the airlifting of ailing MGR to Brooklyn for treatment. This would help the commission to clear doubts on why Jayalalithaa was not taken to a foreign country for treatment. Hence, it sent the letter to Apollo hospital recently.
Recently, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had said that during the period Jayalalithaa was hospitalised in late 2016, there was fear among the party leaders of having to face AIADMK cadres’ anger for not attempting to move Jayalalithaa abroad as done for MGR. During the deposition of Dr Narasimhan of Apollo hospital, who accorded treatment to Jayalalithaa for respiratory related problem, on Tuesday informed the commission that during the treatment in the hospital in September 2016, Jayalalithaa presented a book ‘The Private Life of Chairman Mao: The Memoirs of Mao’s Personal Physician’ to him.
