Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli, who has been hospitalized with chest infection, has expressed haste to return to week. He has told the doctors attending to him to let him leave for work on Thursday at any cost.
"We will keep him at the hospital for a couple of days. He is in a hurry to return to week. He just told us 'Do let me go for work the day after tomorrow,'" said Chief of Cardiology Department at the TUTH Dr Arun Sayami who is leading the team of doctors attending to PM Oli. "We have been persuading him to listen to our advice. We will try to send him only after full recovery."
He revealed that PM Oli's health is much better than when he was admitted at the Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center inside the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) premises at four Monday morning. "His fever and cold have gone. He had breakfast today. You guys wanted to click his photo. He has had a shave and is handsome now. He had difficulty in breathing but it is getting easier now," Dr Sayami added.
PM Oli's photograph has not been made public since he was hospitalized. A team of doctors including Dr Arun Sayami, PM Oli's personal doctor Divya Singh and pulmonologist Dr Santa Kumar Das are attending to him.
"His heart and kidney are in good condition. Chest infection is also gradually getting better. The antibiotics have started to work," Dr Sayami said.
The doctors attribute the problems of PM Oli more to his busy schedule than diseases. "The main problem for him is his busy schedule than diseases. A PM has to be busy. He got tired while offering tika during the Dashain. We tried to treat him at his residence at far as possible. But there was a Cabinet meeting at Baluwatar on Sunday. There would have been regular meetings if he were kept there. We have got him admitted due to that reason," Dr Sayami explained.
He stressed that PM Oli needs rest for at least a week. "He needs rest. He should not be in a crowd. PM is brave but he needs rest for at least a week and should not attend meetings and programs," he advised. He said the antibiotics course will run for a week to treat chest infection.
Former prime ministers, ministers, chief ministers and leaders of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) and other parties have thronged the hospital to take stock of his health.
PM Oli has been ill for the past few days. He missed the tea party organized by CPN at Bhrikuti Mandap on Saturday due to health problems. He was advised rest for three days but he attended the Sunday’s Cabinet meeting albeit for just 10 minutes. The meeting was earlier scheduled for Friday but was postponed in the eleventh hour apparently due to his poor health.
PM Oli had a kidney transplant 11 years ago and uses immunosuppressants to ensure that his immune system does not attack the foreign organ. A minor infection can have serious implications due to the compromised immune system. He has been going to Bangkok, Thailand for routine check-ups in recent years.