Jayalalithaa Fit Now, Can Head Home Says Hospital

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has "completely recovered" and it is up to her to decide when to go home, Apollo Hospitals Chairman Pratap C Reddy said in Chennai today.

"All I can say is, very clearly, she is very satisfied...What I mean by very satisfied, that means she has completely recovered. She is aware of what is going on around her," he told reporters.

"She is completely aware of what is happening. Asks and demands what she wants and I believe and everybody, even she, is looking forward when she will go home and take back the reign," he said.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to the corporate hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. Later, the hospital had said she was being treated for infection with respiratory support, among others.

Specialists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and also from London have treated her during the period. Apollo Hospitals, in its last medical bulletin on October 21, had said Jayalalithaa was "interacting and progressing gradually".

Ever since her hospitalisation, state ministers and AIADMK cadres have been organising special pujas at various temples across the state, praying for her speedy recovery. Prayers had also been held in places of religious worship in Erode and Karur, among others.

"The divine blessings were on Jayalalithaa as scores of party workers had held prayers for her speedy recovery," AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathy had said.

Late last week, an official document had stated that Jayalalithaa used her left thumb impression in the election document of her party nominee for November 19 bypoll to Thirupparankundram as she had an "inflamed right hand".

The document was attested by Dr P Balaji, Professor of Minimal Access Surgery, Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and signed by Dr Babu K Abraham of Apollo Hospitals as witness.

A galaxy of political leaders, including BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, DMK treasurer M K Stalin, besides film personalities like Rajinikanth and Kushboo, who is also the Congress spokesperson, had visited the CM.

Asked when Jayalalithaa, who has now spent more than a month at the hospital, will be discharged, Reddy said it was up to the Chief Minister to decide.

"She will ask us very soon when am I going home. I believe it must be on top of her mind...when to go home is a small thing. These decisions will be made by her and we will coordinate," he said.

"It will be not too long before she sees all of you," he said.

Reddy said the "most important part of the treatment has been very successful" and that Jayalalithaa and her attendants were happy in every respect.

He hailed the team of doctors, saying their combined effort had made "this excellent progress in managing the health of our dear Chief Minister."

He expressed joy over Jayalalithaa's progress and said a big team, including doctors and others, had contributed towards this, adding he was happy to have given Jayalalithaa the "world's best health care facilities." "You know, the hospital has done some part and millions of people across the nation prayed for her and all those prayers have done (their bit) in bringing the recovery." "We all must say the prayers and the doctors' team at Apollo and the doctors who visited from AIIMS and England (Richard John Beale)-- all of them have given the best for her recovery today," Reddy said.

AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathy also said that Jayalalithaa would return home soon.

The party chief was "taking normal food" three times a day and was doing her chores, she said.