AIIMS panel gives clean chit to Apollo Hospitals on Jayalalithaa treatment

It says no errors have been found in the care provided

The treatment provided to former Chief Minister Jaylalithaa by Apollo Hospitals was “per correct medical practice and no errors have been found in the care provided,” according to the AIIMS medical board constituted to give expert opinion on the circumstances of her hospitalisation and treatment.

The medical board, comprising seven experts, was constituted after a Supreme Court order in November 2021 called for the same with regard to an appeal filed by Apollo Hospitals. In its final report, dated August 4, the board has given the hospital a clean chit and agreed with the final diagnosis made by the hospital.

Providing a chronological sequence of significant events that had happened while Jayalalithaa was being treated, the board also records the exact treatment that was provided to the former Chief Minister. It said it found the sequence to be factually correct.

Multiple complications led to Jayalalithaa’s death, according to the discharge summary made available initially by the hospital. They had arrived at the final diagnosis of bacteremia (bacterial infection in the blood) and septic shock (caused by widespread infection leading to organ failure and low blood pressure) with respiratory infection. There was also infective endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of heart/valves) of the mitral valve with mitral regurgitation (caused by malfunction of the valve on the left side of the heart ) and first degree AV block (where the electrical impulse that controls the heart beat is blocked completely). There was also evidence of heart failure.

Besides this, the hospital’s summary said there was uncontrolled diabetes at admission that was treated. There was also a history of hypertension, hypothyroid, asthmatic bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and atopic dermatitis for the patient. The report said the AIIMS medical panel agreed with the final diagnosis.

The members of the medical panel, led by Sandeep Seth, professor of cardiology, included Anant Mohan, head of pulmonary medicine; Vimi Rewari, professor of anaesthesiology; Milind Hote, professor of cardiothoracic vascular surgery; Rajesh Kadgawat, professor of endocrinology; Abhishek Yadav, additional professor in the department of forensic medicine; and Ananth Naveen K. Reddy of the department of hospital administration.