How Did Jaya Die?

Jayalalithaa’s doctors fought not only her sundry ailments, but also her unhealthy habits and impulsive ways. THE WEEK accesses confidential documents to piece together the untold story of the final weeks of her life.

- Lakshmi Subramanian

A person’s sense of humor is often the first casualty of an illness. But J. Jayalalithaa never lost hers, even as her maladies left her gasping for air. On September 27, 2016, barely a week after she was rushed to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, she cracked a joke about her wheezy breathing. “She quipped that it sounded like someone sitting in the front row of a movie theatre, whistling at the screen,” recalled Dr K.S. Shivakumar, her longtime doctor.

Jayalalithaa’s final weeks had all the drama of a potboiler, befitting the actor-turned-politician that she was. The illnesses that plagued the Tamil Nadu chief minister were sundry. She had been suffering from vertigo for 15 years, had been obese and diabetic for more than 20 years, and had chronic heart, respiratory and digestive disorders, thyroid-and nerve-related problems, and a skin condition for which she took steroids.

Jayalalithaa was hardly conscious for most of the 74 days she was in Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. But when she was, she insisted on running the show. Dr Richard Beale, the London-based intensive care expert who flew in to help treat her, got a taste of it when he met her in October 2016. Beale visited her after meeting the team of Apollo doctors who were treating her. Shivakumar had told him that Amma, as Jayalalithaa was popularly known, was not sticking to her treatment regimen.

According to Shivakumar, who was in the room, Beale told Jayalalithaa: “You might be the boss of this whole state, but I am the boss of this hospital. You should listen to what I say.” Jayalalithaa, who was unable to speak because of her respiratory illness, replied through gestures. “You are not the boss,” she gestured. “I am the boss.”