Jaya did not wish information, photo release during hospital stay: Apollo
CHENNAI: All information released pertaining to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s health was in accordance with her wishes, Apollo Hospitals informed the Madras High Court on Thursday.
The First Bench of Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice R Mahadevan was hearing a PIL by P A Joseph seeking an enquiry commission or a fact-finding committee into the speculations over the death of Jayalalithaa.
When the matter came up, State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and S M Mohankumar, authorised signatory of Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, filed counter affidavits.
In the counter, the hospital said Jayalalithaa did not want her photographs released to the public. Abiding by the Medical Council of India’s Code of Ethics and Joint Commission International Standard for Patient and Family Rights, all information released by the hospital was only on her request.
The government’s request was also considered in the interest of maintaining public order and minimising speculation and rumour mongering.
The counter affidavit also said the best care was given to Jayalalithaa by the hospital and also by a special team from AIIMS deputed by the Central government and even international experts, who were engaged directly with the patient. The affidavit submitted that Apollo Hospitals also sought the advice and opinion of Richard Beale, an international specialist and consultant with the St Thomas Hospital, London. At the request of the Tamil Nadu government, a team of specialists headed by G C Khilnani, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorder, was deputed by AIIMS, New Delhi, for consultation on Jayalalithaa’s condition.
Two medical bulletins were also released by Raj Bhavan after the Governor paid a visit, the counter said.
The affidavit further submitted that the allegations in the PIL were not based on any concrete evidence and only reflected hearsay and conjecture, not facts.
As part of their duty to the patient, the hospital said that the amount of details to be revealed to the public was as per the Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners and Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002, which do not make the hospital duty-bound to reveal any details.
In the PIL, the petitioner had made the Prime Minister and other Union Ministers also respondents in the case. But at the hearing, Central Government Senior Standing Council J Madanagopala Rao submitted that they were not relevant to the case and only the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was relevant. He also requested the Bench to give him two weeks time to respond on behalf of the Union government.
However, appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel K M Vijayan submitted that all union ministries worked under the Prime Minister. Hence it was not wrong to make him a respondent as well.
Accordingly, the Bench granted two weeks time to the counsel who appeared on behalf of the Centre to file a counter and also directed him to mention the deletion of the respondents who are not relevant and posted the matter for March 13.