DPM Shrestha suffers cardiac arrest in Beijing, in stable condition

KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, has been hospitalized in Beijing after experiencing sudden chest discomfort.

Shrestha, who is in the Chinese capital to participate in the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF), was admitted to a dedicated health facility for BRF participants at around 1 am on Thursday. According to the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, Shrestha suffered a cardiac arrest and a stent has been placed in his heart. His health condition is stable, according to family sources.

He is expected to be discharged soon. But since he won’t be able to fly back to Kathmandu immediately, he will have to stay in Beijing for some days.

Shrestha was scheduled to meet the Chinese Minister for Emergency Management, the Head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department Liu Jianchao, and other officials on Thursday. All these meetings have been postponed now, according to the embassy.

Shrestha’s family members told Himal Press that they hadn’t yet decided whether to leave for Beijing with doctors.