On the 25th day of his indefinite hunger strike, campaigner Dr Govinda KC’s health condition remained critical with his heartbeat and blood pressure read as “unstable”.

Doctors attending him said the fasting surgeon was unable to speak on Tuesday while he had a risky electrolysis imbalance. Dr KC’s blood pressure was still on the lower side (93/59 mmHg) while his heartbeat fluctuated between 55 and 65 beats per minute.

A blood test conducted on Tuesday showed a further loss of vital minerals and elements in the fasting surgeon’s body since Monday. The report suggested greater deficiency of white blood cells, glucose, oxygen and other minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Dr Bishad Dahal, who has been with Dr KC since his initial fast in Jumla, said heartbeat generally rises with a drop in BP but it was not so in Dr KC’s case. “It’s important to find the cause but Dr KC hasn’t allowed his examination,” said Dr Dahal.

Doctors at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, where Dr KC has been staging his fast, said he refused treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) even as he is highly prone to infections in the room he has been lodged. “We have left a cabin in the ICU vacant to transfer him in case of an emergency,” a doctor said.

If the potassium deficiency causes any problem in the heart, medics said, Dr KC needs to be transferred to the coronary care unit.

Resident doctors’ sit-in

KATHMANDU: Resident doctors from various hospitals in the Capital staged a mass hunger strike on the TU Teaching Hospital premises on Tuesday to express solidarity with the fasting surgeon’s demands.

At the call of the Nepal Medical Association (NMA), the strike was jointly organised by the Nepal Resident Doctors Association (NRDA) of TUTH and the Resident Association of NAMS (RAN) of Bir Hospital from 10am to 5pm at Maharajgunj.

On Monday, the NMA called resident doctors to deny patient care other than emergency services across the country. While the resident doctors protested, out-patient services were run by other doctors at the respective hospitals. RAN President Dr Bom BC advised the NMA to take more effective steps to press the government. Meanwhile, a mass hunger strike at the Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu marked its third day on Tuesday. (PR)