Arvind Kejriwal says his glucose metre reading is in ‘dangerous’ range, calls Tihar’s insulin update false

Arvind Kejriwal insulin row: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his disappointment over the Tihar jail administration’s statement over his health. He said he has been requesting insulin daily due to his diabetes. 

Kejriwal, in a letter to the Superintendent of Tihar Jail, said that this glucose metre reading was in the ‘dangerous’ range between 250 and 320. The jail administration was lying about his health due to ‘political pressure’, he said. 

This comes after prison authorities said on Sunday that the Tihar administration arranged a video conference of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with senior specialists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) during which neither the “issue of insulin was raised by Kejriwal, nor was it suggested by the doctors". 

A jail official said that after a 40-minute detailed consultation, Kejriwal was assured that there was no serious concern and advised him to continue with the prescribed medicines that will be evaluated and reviewed regularly. 

The video conference was organised by the Tihar Jail administration on a request by Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal. Apart from a senior specialist from the hospital, medical officers of the Tihar jail were also on the call.

The jail administration had also submitted a report to Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Friday stating that the chief minister’s health was reviewed on April 10 and 15 by a medicine specialist who advised oral anti-diabetic drugs and it is  "incorrect to state that Kejriwal was denied insulin at any point of time". 

Meanwhile, on Monday, AAP minister Atishi alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lied in court about the consultation with specialists from AIIMS. "The ED lied in court and said specialists from AIIMS were consulted and they have said that no insulin is needed and have also formulated a diet chart for Kejriwal. However, the diet chart was not prepared by an endocrinologist or diabetologist, but by a dietician. We all know that dieticians are not MBBS doctors. On the basis of that diet cart, they have been saying in court that Kejriwal does not need insulin," she said.

Kejriwal had moved a fresh plea on Friday seeking consultation with his physician for 15 minutes every day and administration of insulin in jail.