Former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala’s health is now improving. She was put on oxygen support on Wednesday evening after she was admitted to the Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. The aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had fallen ill in the Parappana Agrahara prison and according to the hospital's dean, the result of her RT-PCR test to determine if she is positive for the coronavirus, came negative.
"She had fever two days ago and was in the Parappana Agrahara prison hospital. When she was brought in, she had breathlessness but no fever. She was shifted to the ICU on Thursday morning not because her condition deteriorated, but because we wanted to monitor her. She has a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) but her COVID-19 tests have come as negative. Her condition has improved since she was admitted and she is stable now”, Dr Manoj Kumar HV, dean and director of Bowring hospital told TNM.
Sources in Bowring hospital said that the current diagnosis the doctors are working with is SARI and that the cause could be any infection.
Sasikala already has multiple comorbidities that she is receiving treatment for. Her oxygen saturation levels, according to sources close to her, had reduced to 79%.
"On arrival at hospital, oxygen saturation at room air was 79% and febrile. (She is) stable with supportive measures and antibiotics and oxygen. She will be further evaluated and monitored," the doctor added.
According to sources, Sasikala’s family is disappointed that a CT Scan has not yet been taken despite Sasikala having a respiratory infection.
Sasikala is supposed to be released from the Karnataka prison on January 27, ahead of the Tamil Nadu state Assembly elections. The process towards her release has been keenly watched by her supporters and adversaries to determine if it will cause a shift in the state’s political landscape.
TNM had earlier reported that Sasikala is likely to stay with her family in Chennai’s T Nagar area after her release. She had stayed with her niece Krishnapriya even when she had come out on parole earlier.