Ex-PM Thapa on ventilator‚ next 48 hrs critical: Dr. Rawat

KESHAV P. KOIRALA

KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is undergoing treatment in a critical condition at the ICU of Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu after he suffered from a cardiac arrest on Saturday morning.

He is currently unconscious and has been kept on the ventilator, Dr. Bharat Rawal, the hospital's executive director, informed, adding that next 48 hours are critical for him.

The octogenarian leader was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed during an internal meeting of his party this morning.

"He came completely collapsed with no (recordable) BP and no breathing at 10 am," Dr. Rawat said. "We could revive him and with lot of efforts we could get his heart beats back by an artificial pacemaker." A team of doctors including Dr. Rawat and Dr. J. P. Jaiswal had implanted the pacemaker on Thapa’s heart.

Though unconscious Thapa is able to cough and move his limbs, according to Dr. Rawat.

The hospital said that there are traces of improvement in the high-profile patient’s condition and is being treated under Dr. Rawat, senior consultant cardiologist, and Dr. Shyam Bahadur Pandey, senior most physician.

His blood pressure is currently maintained on the articulate drugs.

The five-time prime minister, Thapa has been suffering from hypertension and heart condition for a long. He had suffered from a minor storke in December last year also. Thapa hails from the eastern district of Dhankuta.

He had addressed the mass meeting organised by the 22 parties at Khullamanch yesterday afternoon.

The senior leaders of his Rastriya Janashakti Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, including former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Pashupati Shumsher Rana, his supporters and well-wishers thronged the hospital premises.

Nepali Congress Vice President Ram Chandra Paudel also visited the hospital to acquire information about Thapa’s condition.