Kathmandu, July 10: Ganesh Nepali, who attempted self-immolation outside the Department of Passport in Tripureshwar on Thursday, remains on ventilator support in the Burn Intensive Care Unit at Bir Hospital, where doctors say his condition is unstable.
Nepali is being treated under the leadership of Dr Piyush Dahal, coordinator of the hospital’s Department of Plastic Surgery. A 21-member multidisciplinary medical team is involved in his care, including Plastic Surgery Unit Chief Dr Apar Lamichhane, critical care specialist Dr Nirman Gyawali, anaesthesiologist Dr Jayaprakash Thakur, Prof. Dr Raviram Shrestha, and a team of specialised nursing staff.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, doctors are working continuously to stabilise Nepali’s condition by maintaining his blood pressure and managing other life-threatening complications.
The government had initially planned to airlift Nepali to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS, in New Delhi on Thursday night for advanced treatment. However, the transfer has been postponed after doctors warned that moving him in his current condition could put his life at greater risk.
Medical experts have advised the government to transfer Nepali to India only after his condition becomes stable enough for air transport. Officials said arrangements for the transfer will resume once doctors determine that he can safely travel.
Nepali was admitted to Bir Hospital’s emergency department at around 3 pm on Thursday after he set himself on fire in front of the Department of Passports. A ride-sharing driver, Nepali became frustrated after he found his motorcycle was wheel-locked by a policeman.
Doctors said he has suffered burns over approximately 55 per cent of his body. The government has announced that it will bear the full cost of his treatment.
The incident has once again highlighted Nepal’s limited capacity to treat critically burnt patients. Although Bir Hospital operates a dedicated burn unit, Nepal still lacks a fully specialised national burn hospital equipped with advanced burn intensive care facilities, modern treatment technology, and an adequate number of burn surgeons, reconstructive specialists, and critical care experts. As a result, patients with extensive burn injuries often need to be referred abroad, particularly to India, for advanced treatment.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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