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Kumaramangalam was satisfied with our treatment: Apollo

Apollo Hospital on Saturday said it had 'reluctantly discharged' ailing Union Power Minister P R Kumaramangalam and that it had cautioned him against it. The hospital denied that he was put on anti-tubercular treatment and said it was ready for any public probe.

”Kumaramangalam was very keen to attend the ongoing Parliament session and requested discharge. We cautioned against this move and told him that his health was of prime concern. However, when he persisted, we reluctantly discharged him. Even while doing so, we were upset but Kumaramangalam was extremely satisfied with the treatment given,” Apollo Public Relations Officer Indu Rao said in a statement.

The hospital's statement came in the wake of criticism made against it in Parliament and outside for 'negligence' while treating Kumaramangalam who had been admitted there between April 14 and 23.

It said he was discharged on the clear understanding that he would require frequent follow- up treatment. Unfortunately, he never returned to meet the physicians who had treated him - Dr Prasad Rao and Dr Ajay Lal.

According to Apollo, when Kumaramangalam came for treatment he was already on antibiotics. Not leaving anything to chance, Apollo made him undergo several tests - CT scan of the chest, Bronchoscopy, CT guided fine needle aspiration of chest lesion and PCR for tuberculosis - to diagnose the cause behind his fever episodes.

The hospital said the minister's chest x-ray showed a pneumonitic patch at the right lower lobe of the lungs. In view of the high ESR, the possibility of tuberculosis or atypical pneumonia malignancy was suspected. Blood smears and counts were repeatedly carried out but did not show any premature or abnormal cells.

Apollo said Kumaramangalam was then investigated for malaria since he had made a trip to the Andamans - a region prone to the disease - and administered antibiotics. Suspecting falciparum malaria, he was also given metkalfin and artesunate on the advice of the director of medical services of the Andamans.

”At no point was Kumaramangalam administered anti-tuberculosis drugs. But statements are being made in the press and other fora that anti-TB drugs were administered to the union minister. This is false''.

The hospital claimed it had arranged for a tripartite teleconference with experts at Boston. The latter were in total and complete agreement with the line of treatment pursued by Apollo.

UNI

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