There is happy news for millions of followers of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa all over Tamil Nadu. “Jayalalithaa has completely recovered. She is aware of her surroundings and understands what is going on around her,” said Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy at Chennai on Friday.
He was interacting with journalists on the sidelines of a function held to release a book Apollo’s Text Book of Medicine. Dr Reddy, a septuagenarian cardiologist, is the overall leader of the team of doctors attending to Jayalalithaa, who has been hospitalised since September 22. The fact that a person like Dr Reddy has come out with an announcement like this is expected to set at rest all rumours about her health being spread by her rivals.
Dr Reddy said that Jayalalithaa is completely aware of what is happening around her. “She asks and demands what she wants and I believe she is looking forward when she will go home and take back the reigns,” said Dr Reddy. This is the first time Dr Reddy has interacted with the media since Jayalalithaa was admitted to his hospital in October.
There were indications last week itself about Jayalalithaa’s speedy recovery as she herself had affixed her left thumb impression on the nomination papers of the three AIADMK candidates contesting the November 19 Assembly polls from Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupurankundram constituencies.
Though the hospital has not issued any medical bulletins for the last two weeks about the Chief Minister’s health, Dr Reddy’s statement on Friday would see the hospital authorities coming out with a bulletin in the next two to three days.
A Chennai-based daily with pro-CPI(M) and Islamist leanings had reported on Friday “quoting sources in the hospital” that there was “marked improvement in the health of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and she may be moved from the critical care unit to a private room in three days”.