Kathmandu, October 31

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who was admitted to Grande International Hospital yesterday, underwent haemodialysis for the second time today. He underwent the same treatment yesterday too.

PM Oli was discharged at around 8:20pm.

The hospital’s Medical Director Dr Chakra Raj Pandey told mediapersons that dialysis was conducted to lower creatinine  level in his blood. Creatinine is a waste product that is filtered and released into urine by the kidneys. Increased creatinine level in blood may mean that kidneys are not working as they should.

Pandey said Oli’s health was fine after dialysis. “PM Oli is in his spirit, cheerful and strong,” he said, refusing to disclose further details of his medical test results. He urged all to respect the patient’s privacy. Both the hospital and Oli’s secretariat did not reveal that he had undergone dialysis yesterday.

When asked whether Oli needed routine dialysis, Pandey said this would be determined after a few days of observation of creatinine level in his blood. He said there was no standard as to at what level of blood creatinine dialysis should be conducted and that it varied from patient to patient. He added that a patient’s health status changed minute by minute, so nothing could be predicted at the moment.

“Presently, PM Oli’s kidneys are functioning well and creatinine level has fallen after dialysis. The situation is improving and he will soon be able to join office,” said Pandey. He also made it clear that Oli was not kept in the Intensive Care Unit, but added that he was kept in the dialysis room to ensure he did not develop any other infections.

When asked whether the PM needed to go abroad for further treatment, Pandey said that was his choice

and the decision depended on his team of doctors.

Earlier in the day, Nepal Communist Party Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal had said Oli underwent dialysis this morning. Dahal, who met Oli at the hospital, also said doctors would decide whether Oli required routine dialysis after a few days of observation.

Oli had undergone kidney transplant surgery 12 years ago. He has been visiting various hospitals in foreign countries for health check-up ever since. Oli was admitted to Singapore-based National University Hospital twice in August. He had undergone plasmapheresis in NUH after his blood creatinine level rose.