Jagathy Sreekumar to be shifted to CMC, Vellore

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Well-known Malayalam film actor Jagathy Sreekumar, who was seriously injured in a road accident in Malappuram district of Kerala on March 10, has made considerable progress on the path to recovery and will be airlifted to the Christian Medical College (CMC) at Vellore in Tamil Nadu next week for a planned rehabilitation programme.


A spokesman for the Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) at Kozhikode, where he has been undergoing treatment, said that the 62-year-old actor was stable at present.

"He is conscious and recognizing relatives. He is also obeying simple commands. He is slowly regaining his neurological functions and he is responding well to physiotherapy," he said.

Doctors attending on the actor, popularly known as Jagathy, said what he needed now was a well-planned rehabilitation programme which might take a few weeks.

The MIMS had contacted CMC in this regard because its Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department is said to be amongst the best in the country.

A neurology and rehabilitation team from CMC had visited MIMS Thursday and assessed Sreekumar.
"They expressed satisfaction about the overall improvement of the patient and they have accepted transfer of the patient to Vellore for further care," the spokesman said.

"We are in the process of arranging for a shift of the patient for Vellore next week. He is currently fit for shifting there. The same is being arranged in coordination with CMC, Vellore," he added.

The mishap occurred at Thenhipalam in Malappuram district when the actor was on his way to Coorg in Karnataka, the location of director Lenin Rajendran's latest film, Edavapathi.

Since admission to the hospital on that day, Jagathy has undergone a series of surgeries, first to stop internal bleeding and then to treat the bone fractures he had suffered in his hip, a knee and his right forearm.

Jagathy had suffered multiple fractures and injuries in the neck, abdomen and chest in the mishap. His lungs had also been impacted.

Sources said the Toyota Innova car, in which he was travelling, crashed into the median on National Highway 17 while negotiating a sharp curve. The driver of the car, Anil Kumar, also suffered injuries and is undergoing treatment in the same hospital.

Jagathy, who has performed in an amazing variety of roles in more than 1100 films, has particularly excelled in comedy and has won the State Government's award in different categories four times.