CHENNAI: DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, who contracted COVID-19 earlier this month, died in a private hospital in Chennai. The 61-year-old legislator was admitted to Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre on June 2.
MLA Anbazhagan passed away on his 62nd birthday.
According to a statement issued by the hospital, "Thiru Anbazhagan J, who has been fighting for his life with severe COVID 19 pneumonia rapidly deteriorated early this morning. In spite of full medical support including mechanical ventilation at our COVID facility, he succumbed to his illness. He was declared dead at 08:05 hours on the 10th of June 2020."
His condition was critical since Monday and was admitted on June 2 with severe acute respiratory distress and tested positive for COVID-19. He was put on a ventilator the following day. He was initially getting 90 per cent oxygen from the machine and improved steadily until he was gradually weaned off.
However, on Monday evening, J Anbazhagan's health deteriorated significantly.
The hospital said that 'his oxygen requirement had gone up and cardiac function had deteriorated. He required medicine to support blood pressure and that his chronic kidney disease had also worsening'.
On Wendesday June 10, the hospital declared him dead.
The three-time MLA had actively engaged in relief distribution as part of the DMK’s Ondrinaivom Vaa initiative, distributing relief materials till as recently as May 27.
The Chepauk MLA is the first legislator to test positive for viral infection in Tamil Nadu. Anbazhagan was elected to the State Assembly from the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in 2011 and 2016 and from T Nagar in 2001.
He has been in active politics for the last four decades, his father Jeyaraman having been one of the frontline functionaries of the DMK since the party’s launch in 1949. Anbazhagan’s 40-year-old son Raja works in the party’s youth wing.
Puducherry CM condoles the demise of Anbalagan MLA
Expressing his heartfelt condolences, Narayanasamy tweeted "He was a strong leader of Dravidian movement pillar of DMK. His loss is great loss personally to DMK President''.