Jayalalithaa's situation extremely grave: Dr Richard Beale

Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s health is “extremely grave” and that everything possible is being done to give her the best chance of surviving this “shocking event”, British expert Dr Richard Beale, who had examined her thrice in the past, said on Monday.

Dr Beale, who has been credited for the improvement in Ms Jayalalithaa's health before she suffered the cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, said he was “most saddened” to hear about the sudden deterioration in the Chief Minister's health.

“She (Jayalalithaa) is being cared for by a highly expert multidisciplinary team, and is now on extra-corporal life support. This is the most advanced level of support available, and is the approach the best centres internationally would take in this situation,” Dr Beale said in his first press statement after Ms Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on September 22.

Dr Beale's statement came just a few minutes after Apollo Hospitals' Sangita Reddy took to Twitter to say “our beloved CM remains in a grave situation”.

The British Intensivist Specialist at the London Bridge Hospital is a top-notch doctor who specializes in Intensive Care Treatment and had travelled to Chennai thrice in three months to examine Ms Jayalalithaa and oversee the treatment to the Chief Minister.

Noting that he has been keeping in “close touch” with her situation at Apollo Hospitals and had “Like everyone been most encouraged by how well she had been doing.”

“Unfortunately, and in spite of the progress she has made, her underlying health conditions inevitably meant that the risk of further problems always remained,” Dr Beale said in the statement.

As concerns mounted about the health of Ms Jayalalithaa, the British expert said his thoughts and prayers are with the Chief Minister, hear family, her carers and the people of Tamil Nadu at this “very difficult time.”