Jayalalithaa death probe: Apollo Hospitals group welcomes SC order on appointing medical expert panel

The Supreme Court recently ordered that the Director of AIIMS would nominate a panel of doctors, specialists, as relevant to the treatment provided to the late chief minister. This panel of experts is also permitted to take part in all proceedings of the Enquiry Commission.

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Chennai: More than five years after the demise of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the probe over her death and the circumstances that led to it are still underway. Constituted by the Tamil Nadu government in 2017, the Justice (Retd)Arumughaswamy Commission has been issuing summons, questioning doctors, paramedical staff and others involved in the treatment of the then chief minister. 

However, the caregiver, Apollo Hospitals group had a major issue with the Commission- the Commission lacked the medical expertise to evaluate the treatment protocols that were followed. After the Hospital approached the Supreme Court, the latter has ordered that an expert panel of doctors from across domains need to assist the Arumughaswamy Commission in their probe. 

As per the apex court order dated 20th December, it is just and proper to constitute a medical board to assist the investigation. The court ordered that the Director of AIIMS would nominate a panel of doctors, specialists, as relevant to the treatment provided to the late chief minister. This panel of experts is also permitted to take part in all proceedings of the Enquiry Commission.

In a statement regarding the Supreme Court order, Apollo Hospitals said that the apex court order vindicated its own stance, that a team of medical experts should have been constituted to aid the Commission. According to the hospital, they had provided 30 volumes of medical records(spanning 6000pages), pertaining to the treatment of the chief minister. They added that 56 Doctors, 22 paramedical and support staff had submitted oral evidence before the Commission.

Referring to the initial year of the probe, the hospital said that it had formally requested the Commission for a medical experts committee to aid the investigation. This was asked for, given that the late chief minister suffered from a complex matrix of medical issues and was treated by Indian and foreign Doctors, and that analysis of treatment must be done only by equally qualified peers. 

When this request was turned down by the Commission, the hospital approached the Madras High Court. While the Court recorded that Apollo had co-operated with the probe in every manner, it turned down the plea seeking a medical board. Challenging this rejection by the Madras High Court, the Hospital approached the Supreme Court. However, the hospital emphasized that it never sought an order to disband the Arumughaswamy Commission.