Arun Jaitley Passes Away: A Look at the Health Issues He Battled

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had been suffering from diabetes and many kidney related ailments.

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passed away on 24 August 2019. He had been battling various health ailments for years.

(Photo: FIT)

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away on Saturday, 24 August at New Delhi’s AIIMS. The former finance minister had long been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. He had also been battling kidney-related ailments.

Mayo Clinic reports that kidney damage affects about 40 percent of all diabetic patients and is a common ailment affecting those with diabetes.

On 9 August, the 66-year-old was admitted to the cardio-neuro department of the hospital following complaints of breathlessness.

At AIIMS, Jaitley was being looked after by a team of cardiologists, endocrinologists and nephrologists.

In April last year, the minister had tweeted that owing to his kidney problems, he would be working from home “in a controlled environment”.

However, Jaitley’s health only seemed to have worsened after undergoing a kidney transplant in May 2018.

Multiple Health Conditions

Health issues had long haunted Jaitley. The suave politician had to undergo a triple bypass heart surgery when he was only 52.

Owing to his diabetes, Jaitley even had to undergo a bariatric surgery in September 2014 to correct the excess weight he had gained.

A Rare Form of Cancer

Earlier this year, media reports had suggested that Jaitley had been undergoing treatment for soft cell sarcoma — a rare type of cancer that affects the soft tissues of the body, like fat, muscles and blood vessels.

Complicating the cancer treatment was the fact that his body was likely still healing from the kidney transplant.

According to experts, multimorbidity or the coexistence of multiple health conditions makes it difficult to treat a person as the multiple treatments could result in an increase of drug interactions and side effects.

Jaitley had been a prominent face of the party, and occupied the important Finance portfolio in the BJP’s last term.

Personally too, Jaitley had managed to secure friendships across different party lines. But despite occupying a powerful position in the party, Jaitley had decided not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections because of health reasons.