Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha who is currently in Beijing to participate in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, has suffered from acute myocardial infarction, according to the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

“In the early morning of October 19, Narayan Kaji Shrestha presented to the emergency room of the international medical services at Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of chest discomfort lasting for two hours,” the hospital said in a medical bulletin.

He was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction and was immediately taken to the cath lab, where an emergency coronary angiography showed an occlusion [obstruction] in the obtuse marginal branch (OM) and significant stenosis in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), the hospital said.

The hospital said that a stent was promptly placed in the obtuse marginal branch, alleviating his chest pain. Shrestha is currently in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) for ongoing monitoring and treatment, said the hospital, adding, “He is fully conscious with stable vital signs.”

Likewise, the Nepali embassy in Beijing also issued a statement detailing Shrestha’s condition and wishing for his speedy recovery.

In Kathmandu, a Cabinet meeting on Thursday discussed the condition of the deputy prime minister. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself briefed Cabinet members on the recent health condition of Shrestha.

Prime Minister Dahal is currently in touch with the Nepali ambassador in Beijing, said Minister for Information and Communication Rekha Sharma. In order to complete the course of his treatment, Shrestha will spend a few more days in Beijing.

Sharma said Shrestha is out of danger and there is no medical emergency. On Wednesday, Shrestha attended the inaugural ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing and addressed the high-level forum on “Green Development” held on the theme of “Green Silk Road for Harmony with Nature” under the broader theme of “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”

Addressing the forum, Shrestha had shed light on Nepal’s commitment to green development for resilient and sustainable economic growth, said a statement issued by the Nepali Embassy in Beijing. He also highlighted the plight of climate vulnerable mountainous countries like Nepal which have been bearing the disproportionate brunt of climate change.

He called on the international community to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Agreement including financing commitments. Further, he emphasized the importance of connectivity for a landlocked country like Nepal and reiterated Nepal’s efforts to strengthen connectivity with China through roads, railway, airway, ports, and grids in an orderly manner under the Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network.

Similarly, he underlined the importance of high-quality Belt and Road Cooperation to enhance connectivity and productivity as well as to respond to the needs of people and the planet.