Panneerselvam is mentally sick, says health minister

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar has accused former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam of playing on the death of J Jayalalithaa for his political survival.

Vijayabaskar slammed Panneerselvam of being “mentally sick” after being deprived of power.

In a hard-hitting statement, the minister flayed Panneerselvam for speaking in different voices in connection with the treatment provided to the late Chief Minister.

"In Panneerselvam’s interview to a popular television channel, after being deprived of power as Chief Minister, he categorically stated that he had no doubt or suspicion about the medical treatment that Amma received at the Apollo Hospitals," Vijayabaskar noted.

O. Panneerselvam has been continuously spreading false information among people regarding health conditions of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. O. Panneerselvam stands as the first culprit in the suspicions that he is now raising about the medical treatment that Amma was being given,” Vijayabaskar said.

He said that Panneerselvam is "well aware" that apart from doctors at Apollo hospital, the state government and Apollo administration invited "medical luminaries" to treat the late leader.

The minister pointed out that experts from AIIMS Delhi, Christian Medical College Vellore, Dr Stuart Russell of John Hopkins Hospital, New York, USA (through video conference), Dr Ravi Mehta from Bangalore Apollo, Dr Shamin Sharma, a team led by Narendra Reddy from Hyderabad, a team led by Dwivedi from Tata Memorial Hospital from Mumbai, were consulted and they also visited Jayalalithaa in hospital

“As long as Panneerselvam was in power, he had no doubts about the treatment given to Amma. But soon after deprivation of the power, he was disoriented and started raising doubts about the treatment,” he added.