After 73 days of fighting for life at Apollo Hospitals, Chief Minister Selvi J.Jayalalithaa breathed her last on the 5th of December, 2016. With earlier notifications from the Hospital management saying that Jayalalithaa had recovered and will return home soon, the denial of entry of various dignitaries who had come to pay her a visit, and the complete confidence that was maintained about the treatment and status of the ex-CM raised so many questions, suspicions and conspiracy theories.

In an attempt to 'dispel rumors', Dr. Richard Baele, the UK based doctor who was involved with the treatment of late Jayalalithaa, addressed a press conference in Chennai that was 'facilitated by the State Government'. Accompanied by Doctor Sudha Seshaiyan of Madras Medical College and Balaji & Babu Abraham of Apollo, Chennai, Dr. Baele was asked a series of questions regarding the treatment given to the deceased leader.

Here is a gist of what the doctors said during the press conference that lasted over 45 minutes.

~There was infection in Jayalalithaa's blood when she was admitted, and she was also suffering from respiratory ailments.
~Jaya, who was conscious on admission, had issues like septicemia, uncontrolled sugar, urinary infection, blood pressure, and dehydration.
~She had initially responded to treatment.
~Dr. Babu K Abraham, CCU consultant at Apollo, said that she was talking, eating and interacting with officials for a week.
~The team of doctors had been briefing Sasikala, and all the Ministers and Secretaries concerned.
~The people whom she wanted to meet were the only ones allowed inside.
~Jaya had thumbed up on seeing the Governor C.Vidyasagar Rao who visited the hospital. Later her condition deteriorated.
~Following a witnessed cardiac arrest, CPR was performed immediately for 20 minutes and she was later put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (EGMO), after which, it was pointless to continue treatment.
- Embalming was done after the death to prevent decaying of the body. The procedure lasted for 15 minutes.

Dismissing the alleged conspiracies as fallacies, the doctor said that best efforts were taken, but, were however, futile.

The total cost of Jayalalithaa's treatment estimated to around INR 5 - 5.5 crores, the bill of which, was handed over to her "family".