Karunanidhi dead, announces Kauvery Hospital

Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M. Karunanidhi is dead, said Kauvery Hospital in a medial bulletin at 6.10pm on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, theere was a significant decline in the health of Karunanidhi, said Chennai’s Kauvery Hospital, where the five-time Tamil Nadu chief minister was being treated for the past 11 days. “Despite maximum medical support, his vital organ functions continue to deteriorate. His condition is extremely critical and unstable,” said a statement from the Kauvery Hospital at 4.30pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile, an internal circular from Tamil Nadu DGP T.K. Rajendran directed the police to be on high alert. “Please direct your strength (ADSP, DSPs Inspectors, SIs and ORs) available in each district/city to report immediately in uniform before the respective commissioner of police or district SPs for urgent law and order bandobast duty.” It also added: “Zonal IGPs concerned shall utilize the manpower within the zone depending upon the requirement.” Security has been tightened across Chennai and traffic remained diverted for the second day near the Kauvery Hospital as DMK cadres kept thronging the hospital. A health bulletin on Monday evening had said that maintaining the 94-year-old Karunanidhi’s “vital organ functions continues to remain a challenge considering his age-related ailments”. It had said that the five-time chief minister was on “continuous monitoring and being treated with active medical support. His response to the medical interventions over the next 24 hours will determine the prognosis”. Karunanidhi, who fell ill in October 2016 because of a drug-induced allergy, underwent tracheostomy—a procedure that helped overcome his breathing difficulties—in December 2016. Karunanidhi’s health worsened over the past month, and he was being treated for fever due to a urinary tract infection at his residence in Gopalapuram, Chennai. Following a drop in his blood pressure, Karunanidhi was hospitalized in the wee hours of 28 July. Since then, his condition has been fluctuating. Source: Live Mint