Published Feb 22, 2023 | 4:41 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 22, 2023 | 4:41 PM
Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy. (Creative Commons)
The general health condition of senior Congress leader and former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy is improving, according to a statement issued on Wednesday, 22 February, by the private hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
Chandy, who has been diagnosed with throat cancer, was airlifted last week from Neyyattinkara in Kerala to Bengaluru.
“Currently his lung infection seems to have settled well. A robust onco-rehabilitative programme including onco nutrition, physiotherapy, speech and swallow lab is assisting him in his recovery. He is able to resume his day-to-day minimal activities independently and has completed one cycle of immunotherapy,” HCG Cancer Hospital said in a statement.
“We are actively prepping him to receive the second round of immunotherapy which is planned in the first week of March based on his fitness,” the hospital management said, adding that “at this juncture, we are optimistic he will be one of those with a good response to immunotherapy. There are no current plans for change in course of his therapy.”
Chandy has not been keeping well since 2019. He was taken to Germany a few months ago after his throat-related ailment aggravated.
Earlier, there were allegations from people, including his brother, that the former chief minister was not being given proper treatment by the family.
Sources from Oommen Chandy’s family told South First then that they were under tremendous pressure ever since his younger brother Alex got together with 42 relatives and wrote a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking his intervention to treat the Congress leader, who, according to them, was being subjected to faith healing.
The family categorically denied the charge that Chandy was being denied access to modern medicine. They clarified that they were spiritual believers and churchgoers who engaged in prayers and administered medicines prescribed by doctors.
The sources also pointed out that the family had taken him to Germany for surgery, as party leader Rahul Gandhi suggested.
As the social media was abuzz with reports of his health condition, Chandy posted a video on his son’s Facebook page, claiming that he was given proper care by his family and the party.
Later, Chandy was shifted to the hospital in Neyyattinkara on 6 February, after exhibiting symptoms of pneumonia.
On 7 February morning, Health Minister Veena George visited Chandy at the hospital as instructed by Vijayan, and interacted with the immediate family on the treatment being administered.
He was airlifted to the hospital in Bengaluru, On 12 February, for further treatment.
Chandy, who represents the Puthuppally constituency in the Kerala Assembly since 1970, was chief minister of the southern state twice.
(With PTI inputs)
