Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was undergoing treatment for more than two months in Apollo Hospitals, suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday, a statement from the hospital said.
Chief Operating Officer and head of transformation of Apollo Hospital Dr Subbaiah Viswanathan stated in the press release issued to reporters waiting outside the hospital, her health is being monitored by a team of experts, including cardiologists, pulmonologist, and critical care specialists.
Late around midnight, Apollo Hospital's Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy tweeted: "The Apollo TN CM #Jayalalita is critical.multi speciality team @hospitalsapollo trying everything including ecmo.praying for her recovery."
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao reached Chennai earlier today night after the news of Jayalalithaa suffering a cardiac arrest came out.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh tonight spoke to Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and enquired about the health of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai. During the 10-minute telephonic conversation, Rao briefed Singh about the health condition of the Chief Minister and conveyed that doctors attending to her were taking all necessary steps.
Governor Vidyasagar Rao spent only about five minutes at Apollo hospital, where the Chief Minister is admitted. He left the hospital without speaking to the media.
Ministers and top police officials also rushed to the hospital and informal consultations on the situation.
Meanwhile, PM MHA has asked nine companies of the rapid Action Force to be kept on standby to be rushed to Tamil Nadu in short notice, in case of any unfortunate situation and CRPF forces are accordingly are keeping them on a red alert to rush them when a final order comes. A company comprises 100 personnel.
Regarding the deteriorated health of the CM Jayalalithaa, Apollo Hospital has reportedly contacted Dr. Richard Beale from London and he has concurred with the line of treatment by Apollo's cardiologists and pulmonologists, who had been one among the doctors who treated her in one of the prior episodes of deterioration.
The Chief Minister has been put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation device to support her heart-lung activity.
Supporters of J Jayalalithaa raised slogans seeking information on the Chief Minister's health when the Governor left the hospital. Sources indicated that the chiefs of two central paramilitary forces -- CRPF DG K Durga Prasad and CISF DG O P Singh -- could be sent to Tamil Nadu to supervise security deployment if any need arises.
Prayers flooded in the social media from all over India for her well being. DMK leader M Karunanidhi and M K Stalin wished the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a speedy recovery. Likewise, Congress Vice- President Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted for her well being.
Amidst the word being passed around of examinations being cancelled for Anna university and Madras university, Education Minister K Pandiarajan confirmed to Express that schools will remain open tomorrow.
Later university Registrar confirmed that all the Anna University examinations will be conducted as per the schedule on 5/12/2016. Currently, there is not prohibitory orders for the educational institutions and all the messages passed around through WhatsApp were trashed as rumours.
Police have been deployed in most of the places in Chennai and in important places in other cities of Tamil Nadu.
Police officials had requested people to clear the way in front of the hospital, the crowd had started to thin out as police asked the people and the AIDMK cadres to leave. Apollo hospital is currently communicating about the condition of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu through twitter.
All the police deployed around Apollo had been called inside the hospital premises for a briefing following the update that cops should report to duty by 7 am on Monday morning.
Jayalalithaa who has been in under constant w at Apollo since the time she had been admitted on September 22, had transferred some of the portfolios to O Paneerselvam due to her ill-health a month back and he even held few cabinet meetings during this period. (With inputs from PTI)