KATHMANDU, June 10: The health of former prime minister and Chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Surya Bahadur Thapa has improved after doctors planted a pacemaker in his chest at the Norvic International Hospital Sunday morning.A team of doctors including Dr Nagendra Chouhan from Medanta-The Med City in Gurgaon, India and Chief of the Cardiology Department at the hospital Dr Bharat Rawat planted an advanced double-chambered pacemaker at 11 in the morning. [break]"We removed the ventilator at one in the afternoon and he has regained consciousnes," Dr Rawat said.
Thapa can now sip liquids and can also speak, but doctors have advised him to take complete rest. "We are very careful after taking him off the ventilator as recovery from cardiac arrest takes time. There is also the risk of chest infection,” Dr Rawat added.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and other ministers visited Thapa at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to wish him a speedy recovery. "His miraculous recovery was possible because of quick treatment and the willpower of the 84-year old man," Dr Rawat stated.
Thapa, who served as a prime minister six times, including once as chairman of the council of ministers, suffered a cardiac arrest while attending a joint meeting of RJP and Rastriya Prajantantra Party (RPP) at his party office in Naxal Saturday morning.
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