J Anbazhagan, DMK MLA, Dies Of Covid-19 On His Birthday

DMK MLA J Anbazhagan passed away on 10th June, Wednesday due to Covid-19. He was 62 and died on his birthday at a private hospital in Chennai.

He is the first legislator to get infected from COVID-19 in the State.

"Inspite of full medical support, including mechanical ventilation at our COVID-19 facility, he succumbed to his illness," Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre said in a statement.

The MLA was admitted to Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre at Chromepet due to "severe acute respiratory distress”, on June 2.

"He was put on ventilator support on June 3 when his respiratory distress worsened on high flow oxygen therapy. He was initially getting 90 per cent, oxygen on the ventilator which improved steadily over the next 2 days to 40 per cent. He was being weaned off gradually from the ventilator," the administration said.

There was a significant deterioration of his condition from past two days along with more oxygen requirement and medical support for blood pressure. He had an existing chronic kidney and liver disease which made his situation even more critical.

He served as MLA thrice and was among the key strategists for DMK. Anbazhagan was first elected MLA in 2001. He served T Nagar Assembly constituency for five years.

Later in 2011, he was elected to Tamil Nadu Assembly from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni seat. The DMK leader was re-elected from the same constituency in 2016.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed his sorrow over MLA's death and offered his deepest condolences to his family. DMK president MK Stalin also mourned Anbazhagan's death and paid tributes to him.