Jayalalithaa Well, Can Leave When She Wants, Says Chennai Hospital

Chennai: J Jayalalithaa's lung infection is now fully under control and she can leave whenever she feels fit, the chairman of Apollo Hospitals, where the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has been recovering for nearly two months, said today.

"Jayalalithaa's infection is fully under control. She can go whenever she feels fit. Her discharge depends upon her. There is no fixed date. She has to reinvigorate herself to go back. What's required is recuperation. The team working towards that," Dr Prathap C Reddy said.

The 68-year-old, one of India's most powerful politicians, was admitted to the hospital on September 22 and was being treated for lung infection.

Earlier this month, Mr Reddy had said that the chief minister has completely recovered. A specialist from London and three doctors from AIIMS have been treating Ms Jayalalithaa, besides a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals.

Many senior leaders, including the state's Governor Vidyasagar Rao, have visited the hospital, but no one met the chief minister.

Last month, the governor handed charge of the eight ministries she personally supervised to her Finance Minister O Panneerselvam and authorised him to chair cabinet meetings.

At a cabinet meeting he held, Mr Panneerselvam had placed the chief minister's photograph on the desk before him.