Contrary to the media reports, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is not just undergoing treatment for infection in her lower respiratory tract. Tehelka has learnt from a reliable source that 68-year-old Ms Gandhi is undergoing chemotherapy at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
According to the same source, the Indo-American doctor who had conducted surgery on her in the United States in 2011 was also called upon to the national capital at a short notice.
Sources told Tehelka that leading Indian-American physician Dattatreyudu Nori, who had conducted a one-hour long surgery on Sonia Gandhi arrived in Delhi after she was admitted to the hospital on Thursday evening. Dr Nori of New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is one of the top doctors in America for cancer treatment, especially for women.
On the chilly morning of Friday, Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, situated in the heart of the city, was teeming with outside broadcasting (OB) vans of various television channels during the early hours of the day. However, the hospital authorities and the Congress functionaries maintained through out that Ms Gandhi was undergoing treatment for infection in the respiratory tract. The hospital said that she was admitted to the Chest and Medicine department at around 8.30 on Thursday night after she complained of breathing trouble.
The hospital has been kept under high security.
Rumours were flying thick and fast about Ms Gandhi’s health ever since she underwent a surgery in the US in 2011. Her political opponents, though covertly, took this opportunity to question her physical fitness to lead the grand old party at a time when the Congress was going through one of its biggest crises in the history of independent India. The Congress party, however, has maintained a studious silence over the issue, citing it is a “personal matter” of the party president.
Ahead of the Tripura assembly polls in February 2013, Ms Gandhi, who was scheduled to address two election meetings in the state, cancelled her visit due to ill health. Ms Gandhi also cancelled her day-long tour of Maharashtra in April ahead of the 2014 general elections, citing health reasons. She was to address three election rallies. Last year too in October, Sonia fell ill during the ongoing Lok Sabha session and she was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), while the Parliamentary proceedings were on after she complained of uneasiness and breathlessness. Her son and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi accompanied her to the AIIMS.
Party sources said that she had also skipped many important party meetings during this period. She had also avoided parliament session for two days ahead of her admission to the Ganga Ram hospital on Thursday.
The Ganga Ram Hospital issued a statement on Friday at around 11 am stating that Ms Gandhi’s condition was “stable”. “Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital yesterday evening with Lower Respiratory Tract Infection and some breathing difficulties for further treatment and observation. Her condition is stable and she is recovering well ,” the statement read.
Dr Ajay Swaroop , Chairman (Offg.) , Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, who issued the statement also said that Ms Gandhi was under the care of Dr Arup Kumar Basu, who is a senior consultant and chairman of Respiratory Medicine.
Earlier, doctors at Ganga Ram had maintained that it was only a respiratory problem. “The problem is quite common when season changes. It is also common during winters and sometimes triggered by pollution,” doctors said on the condition of anonymity, adding, “Many cases of respiratory infection are reported due to viruses. However, tests have to be conducted.” The doctors had also said that she would be discharged soon.
However, later in the evening, Ajay Seghal, Media Coordinator of the Hospital confirmed to Tehelka that she would not be discharged on Friday. This has led to the speculation that her illness has got more to do than the so called respiratory infection.
