Annamalai advised bed rest for two weeks; yatra postponed

BJP TN Pres. Annamalai advised 2wks bed rest due to lower respiratory tract infection. Yatra postponed, but he'll attend office bearers' meeting. Criticised CM Stalin for letter to PM Modi, claiming PM gave 11 new medical colleges to TN.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has been advised two weeks of bed rest by doctors at Gleneagles Global Health City hospital for what they have provisionally diagnosed as a “lower respiratory tract infection with viral etiology with bronchospasm.” according to the hospital’s statement released by the party on Wednesday.

While his “En Mann En Makkal” yatra has been postponed due to this development, party sources said Mr. Annamalai will, however, attend the meeting of party office bearers planned on Thursday at a private hall in Chennai. He is likely to address the office bearers. Incidnetally, the commencement of the third phase of the yatra was already postponed from Wednesday to Friday, for which the party cited Mr. Annamalai’s visit to Delhi getting extended as the reason.

The news about his illness came soon after his return from Delhi, where he had gone to meet with the party’s top brass amidst the exit of AIADMK from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), regarding which the national party is yet to officially react.

According to the hospital’s statement, Mr. Annamalai visited the hospital on Tuesday evening with cough, breathlessness, throat pain, body ache and fatigue. A CT scan showed nodules in basal segments of the left lung, the statement said, adding that he was prescribed medicines for five days.

Meanwhile Mr. Annamalai in a statement criticised Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the latter to keep in abeyance the recent notification of the National Medical Commission, imposing restrictions regarding the opening of new medical colleges.

Mr. Annamalai contended it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who “gave” 11 new medical colleges to Tamil Nadu. He alleged that while Tamil Nadu’s health infrastructure was “undoubtedly” the best, the DMK had very little to contribute to it. He claimed Mr. Stalin’s statement raised doubts as to whether any ministers from the present DMK government were planning to open new medical colleges.