Amma Didn’t Die of ‘Poisoning’ or ‘Wrongdoing’: Dr Richard Beale

Dr Richard Beale said he thought Sasikala was supportive and caring.

People pay their respects to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at Rajaji Hall (Photo Courtesy: AP)

There was nothing suspicious or unusual about the death of J Jayalalithaa, Doctor Richard Beale, who attended to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister during her hospitalisation, has said.

Beale, a consultant intensivist from the London Bridge Hospital, made the comments at a press meeting in Chennai organised by the Tamil Nadu government to address rumours and allegations surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death. The doctors said that “there was nothing unusual in this case from a medical perspective”.

Acute Infection That Spread

Jayalalithaa was taken to the hospital after she complained of breathing difficulties, Chennai’s Apollo hospital said.

I was surprised – the collapse was out of the blue, especially when she was on the road to recovery. Absolutely everything that could possibly be done in any hospital in the world, was done. When patients have cardiac arrest, an ECMO is done, but the outcome is usually very poor. After an appropriate period, the futility of the exercise was accepted. It was a medical decision. The government and her family was informed.

Dr Richard Beale

No Poisoning, No Wrongdoing

Dr Beale also dismissed rumours that Jayalalithaa was poisoned and that she was given “wrong medication for diabetes”. He said:

Anyone who goes through her medical history properly, will realise how silly this question is. There was nothing mysterious. We gave her the best treatment.

Another doctor attending to Jayalalithaa, Dr Babu, said the first round of tests revealed that she had a bacterial infection. He added that all resuscitative measures were taken before she was transferred to the operation theatre.

“It was the infection with damage to organs that led to her death,” said Dr Richard Beale. He added that he thought Sasikala was supportive and caring.

Popularly referred to as the “London doctor”, Dr Beale was brought in on 30 September, eight days after Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital. His area of expertise includes acute lung injury, sepsis and multi-organ failure. Dr Beale left Chennai two days later, but continued to be in touch with the medical team attending Jayalalithaa.

(With inputs from The News Minute)