CCTV cameras in Jayalalithaa's ICU were switched off: Apollo Hospitals

Prathap C Reddy, Founder-Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, has said that Jayalalithaa was treated in a separate ICU and that access to it was closed. He also said she got the best care the hospital could give.

New Delhi: Apollo Hospitals on Thursday said that all CCTV cameras in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where J Jayalalithaa was being treated had been turned off.

Speaking to members of the press, Prathap C Reddy,  Founder-Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, said that no CCTV footage could be submitted to Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of inquiry probing Jayalalithaa's death. "All the CCTV cameras were turned off in the ICU where Jayalalithaa was being treated. As soon as she was admitted, all the cameras were turned off and she was provided with one ICU unit with patients there being transferred to other ICUs. Access to her ICU was also closed," he said. "They removed the camera because they did not want everyone to be watching."

Unfortunately they (CCTVs) were switched off. Jayalalithaa got admitted and one ICU was completely occupied only by her. So they removed the footage because they did not want everyone to be watching: Prathap C Reddy, Founder-Chairman of Apollo Hospitals on her death row #Chennai pic.twitter.com/QoWb3oYh4f — ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2018

Admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on September 22 of 2016, the then Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa was treated for over two months before she passed away due to a cardiac arrest. Many, including several from her own party, have questioned the circumstances under which she died and an inquiry commission was subsequently constituted.

We don't have to worry about anything because we haven't done anything wrong. It is upto the Hospital management to explain the reason why did they switch off the CCTV: TTV Dhinakaran #Jayalalithaa pic.twitter.com/2Lo8ef2i4k — ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2018

Reddy though said that his hospital did its best to treat her. "The matter is sub judice, as a one-man commission is holding an inquiry. She was at the hospital for several days. From ward boys to technicians to nurses to doctors everyone took good care of her. There were doctors from other countries as well. We had high hopes she would recover. I even said she was well,” he said.

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Reddy further said that all reports have been submitted to the inquiry commission and that hospital authorities are willing to assist in any way henceforth as well, if required.

(With inputs from ANI)