The Hindu : 'Every possible step taken'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 16, 2003

National

National

'Every possible step taken'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI June 15. The chairman of Apollo Hospitals, Prathap C. Reddy, in a statement said his organisation had taken "every possible step" in the management and care of Mr. Maran's condition in consultation with Indian as well as international specialists. "Apollo has done what any of the best institutions in the world would have done in such difficult clinical conditions.

This was also testified by the Methodist Hospital doctors in Texas", he said.

Tracing the sequence of the Union Minister's hospitalisation, Dr. Reddy said Mr. Maran was admitted to the hospital with high temperature in September last after undergoing the mitral valve replacement surgery at another hospital.

An echocardiography done on the day of his admission revealed vegetation in his heart and the blood cultures were positive for fungus, indicating fungal septicaemia.

"After consultation with the surgeons at the primary hospital, the team at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, performed an emergency high-risk operation to replace the infected valve with a new prosthesis and clear the surrounded infected tissues". Because of multi-organ failure, he was moved to the ICU for continuous support including ventilator and renal dialysis. His liver was supported using MARS dialysis "for the first time in the country".

"He was supported continuously with life-saving measures with the guidance of our consultants and international specialists on fungal septicaemia".

In November, when Mr. Maran was shifted to the U.S., he was accompanied by a team of specialists from the Apollo Hospitals.

Dr. Reddy also recalled that Mr. Karunanidhi, who visited the hospital during Mr. Maran's acute phase, had thanked the hospital's team of doctors and paramedical staff, and said that the care provided by them was comparable with the best medical centres across the world.

As regards the treatment given to Mr. Maran in late 2000, the hospital chief said the Union Minister was admitted to the hospital in October that year due to hypertophic obstructive cardio-myopathy (enlargement of the heart).

In the critical situation, Apollo cardiologists "for the first time in the country" performed a ventricular septal ablation. Mr. Maran made a "miraculous recovery" and resumed normal duties. He subsequently led the Indian delegation to the WTO meeting at Doha, Dr. Reddy added.

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