Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is able to guide, give directions, said Apollo hospital chairman

J Jayalalithaa is now put on ventilator support for only 15 minutes a day "so that her lungs would expand," said chairman of Apollo hospitals Dr Prathap C Reddy today, reiterating that the Tamil Nadu chief minister can be discharged from hospital any time that she chooses."Jayalalithaa, 68, is (breathing) beautifully without the ventilator," said Dr Reddy, who has in the last few days personally released health updates for the chief minister, who was admitted at the Chennai Apollo on September 22 and was treated for an acute lung infection.On her fitness to resume her responsibilities as Chief Minister, Dr Reddy said "some more systems of her body have to be pepped up," but M Jayalalithaa, 68, can now guide and give directions. He said her "mental functions are absolutely normal."From her hospital bed last week, the chief minister had in a statement described her recovery as a "rebirth" which she said she owed to the prayers of the people.Addressed to workers of her party the AIADMK and the people of the state, Ms Jayalalithaa's statement, her first since she was hospitalised, said she is "waiting to fully recover and resume work soon".Her party's spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said yesterday that Ms Jayalalithaa is now "having food by herself, she is sitting, she is able to talk freely... she is cheerful."

A specialist from London flew in frequently as did a team of three doctors from Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences or AIIMS to treat Ms Jayalalithaa, besides a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals.While she has been in hospital, Ms Jayalalithaa's trusted aide and Finance Minister O Panneerselvam has held charge of the eight ministries she personally supervised and has headed cabinet meetings.