Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa needs "a
longer stay in hospital" and is "making gradual progress," said
doctors today who are attending to the 68-year-old politician. The update, provided
this evening, confirmed that Ms Jayalalithaa remains on respiratory support and
is being treated, including by a UK specialist, for lung problems.
Ms Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on
September 22. At first, her party, the AIADMK, said she was being treated for
fever and dehydration. Its publicly-shared forecasts for when she is to leave
hospital have repeatedly been proven wrong, escalating speculation of how
unwell Ms Jayalalithaa is.
Till recently, large gaps in the information shared on
her health added to the uncertainty.
Yesterday, three doctors from Delhi's AIIMS hospital
have joined the Chennai doctors attending to the former movie star who is one
of the country's most powerful and popular politicians.
The AIADMK received some good news this morning with the
Madras High Court ruling that the government does not need to make a formal
statement on the Chief Minister's health or choose a stand-in for her while she
is in hospital.
Ms Jayalalithaa's opponents last week demanded that a
photograph be released of her to confirm that she is well enough to remain in
charge of the state. Governor C Vidyasagar Rao who visited Ms Jayalalithaa in
hospital a few days ago has reportedly advised the party that a daily bulletin
on her health be shared nightly by 8 pm.
Outside Apollo Hospital in Chennai, hundreds of fans of
Ms Jayalalithaa have gathered in a mass vigil and say they will not go home
till they are certain that she is better.
The AIADMK has filed police cases against four people for
misreporting the party chief's health on social media.
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