Days ahead of her release from the prison, VK Sasikala has now been confined in a hospital in Bangalore after she developed breathing difficulties and complained of fever and related discomforts. Expelled ADMK leader Sasikala was the closest aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and she has been serving a four-year prison sentence in Parappana Agrahara Central prison in Bangalore since February 2017 after she was convicted in Disproportionate Assets Case in which Jayalalithaa was the first accused.

As it was confirmed that she will be getting released from the prison on January 27, 2021, ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, Sasikala was preparing for her release and for a possible political resurgence. However, on Wednesday, she developed breathing difficulty in the prison and she also had shown symptoms of fever and the doctors at the prison complex rushed to her cell and responded to the unexpected setback in her health. The doctors monitored her health and a team of doctors from a Bengaluru hospital arrived in the prison to check her health condition. 

As she didn't respond to the treatments, the prison authorities had decided to take her to the hospital. Sasikala was boarded on the ambulance and the visuals from Bangalore had shown Sasikala was kept in a wheelchair as the medical team and prison authorities took her to Bowring Hospital in the city for further treatment. Speaking to a news agency, Sasikala's advocate Raja Senthoor Pandian said that the prison authorities had informed him that Sasikala was suffering from a fever for the past one week and she also had developed cough and cold. Pandian further stated that the authorities said Sasikala's oxygen level was slightly decreased and asserted that she has been doing stable.

As we had reported that Sasikala would possibly undergo COVID-19 testing after she had shown positive symptoms, she had undergone an RT-PCR test to ascertain whether she had contracted the viral infection and the hospital's dean had on Thursday revealed that she had tested negative for the COVID-19 viral infection and remains under continuous observation. She was put on oxygen support on Wednesday evening in Bowring Hospital after her oxygen saturation level dropped. After suffering a sudden health setback, the hospital has on Thursday said that Sasikala has been improving and doing stable. 

Speaking to a news agency, the dean of Bowring Hospital said that Sasikala had a fever two days ago and she was initially treated in the Parappana Agrahara prison hospital. She had breathing difficulty when she was brought to the hospital. As the doctors need to extensively monitor her, she was shifted to the ICU on Thursday morning. She has a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) but her COVID-19 tests have come negative. The dean had asserted that Sasikala's condition has improved since she was admitted and she is doing stable now. 

Her sudden hospitalization days ahead of her release had shocked her family members and some of her family members had gone to Bangalore hospital to visit her. The reports say that the doctors have been working to cure SARI, which was diagnosed following her admission. While she was brought to the hospital, her oxygen saturation level had reduced to 79%, which warranted the treatment under life-saving measures. She has been kept under oxygen support and will be evaluated and monitored. However, her family members had expressed their disappointments over the hospital's treatment that a CT Scan has not yet been taken despite Sasikala was diagnosed with a respiratory infection.

The family members had objected to the doctors and asked them to shift to a private hospital for higher treatment. Following their objection, the hospital on Thursday said that Sasikala would be taken for CT Scan. On Thursday, Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran had visited her at the hospital and while addressing the reporters, he said that Sasikala is doing stable and doctors have advised not to fear and she has been getting treated under oxygen support. Dr. Manoj Kumar, who is the dean and director of Bowring Hospital addressed the reporters on Thursday and asserted that Sasikala has been doing well, had food, and she would be getting discharged in three days. 

Her release comes close to the assembly polls which has drawn significant attention with the Tamil Nadu ruling ADMK preparing to brace up for the fresh disputes after her release amid hoping to win the elections. However, Sasikala will not be able to contest in elections for another six years as per section 8 of the Representation of the People's Act, 1958 which disqualifies a person if convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act.