PM to remain in hospital for another week

Kathmandu, November 29

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is recovering from appendicitis surgery at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre in Maharajgunj, will have to stay in the hospital for a week before he is discharged, doctors involved in his treatment said.

The prime minister, according to them, is “out of danger”, but needs time for the surgical wound to heal.

“Prime Minister Oli is recovering.

He is consuming solid food and his body has not rejected what he eats. This shows his digestive system is functioning in a normal manner. Also, he has started to move on his own,” Dr Dibya Singh Shah, PM’s personal doctor, told journalists today at a press conference.

The press conference was also attended by Dr Arun Sayami, head of the Cardiology Department at the hospital and co-ordinator of PM’s health team, Dr Subash Acharya, a critical care specialist, MCVTC Executive Director Dr Uttam Krishna Shrestha, PM Oli’s Press Adviser Surya Thapa and Dr Ramesh Singh Bhandari, a gastrointestinal and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon.

Although the prime minister is recovering, he has not been removed from the intensive care unit as he is susceptible to contracting infections.

“Complications may arise in patients after a surgery,” said Dr Acharya. “That’s why we have kept him in the intensive care unit. We will shift him to another ward after he starts eating properly. But everything will depend on how fast his health improves.”

PM Oli, who is undergoing dialysis following gradual loss of kidney functioning, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning after he was detected with appendicitis. The doctors then immediately performed a surgery.

PM’s appendicitis was not detected at an earlier stage because he is under “immunosuppressant” drugs, doctors said. “In a normal person, the pain grows gradually and appendicitis infection takes some time to spread,” said Dr Bhandari. “But in patients like the PM, [whose kidney is not functioning properly], the infection can spread within two to four hours.”

Oli, according to Dr Bhandari, was admitted to the hospital in a “very sick condition”. “The infection had spread to his abdomen and blood. We had to stop that,” he said, adding, “His health is improving quicker than expected.

Yet chances of him contracting infections cannot be ruled out. We are, therefore, waiting for the appropriate time to discharge him.”

Dr Shah said Oli was given platelets after the surgery to make sure he did not bleed profusely. “We give this to other patients as well after operations,” said Dr Shah, confirming that the PM was “out of danger for now”.

“His blood and urine tests show normal results. His blood pressure, respiration and pulse rates are also normal,” she said.

The PM underwent appendicitis surgery at a time when he has been regularly visiting the hospital after his transplanted kidney failed to function properly.

The PM, who underwent a successful kidney transplant in India in 2007 after both his kidneys failed to function, has undergone six cycles of haemodialysis in the last few weeks.

“Discussions are being held to re-transplant a kidney in the PM.

But the latest surgery has put the issue on the back burner for the time being,” said Dr Shah. “However, it is not that kidney cannot be re-transplanted in a patient who has undergone appendicitis surgery. It is just that rushing for a kidney re-transplantation will not be appropriate at this stage because he is still recovering.

We recommend kidney re-transplantation only when a patient is both mentally and physically stable.”

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