By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : A week after he was rushed to hospital following a major heart attack, Nepal’s Crown Prince Paras Wednesday left the Norvic-Escorts International Heart Hospital with his wife and three children.
The 36-year-old prince, whose inheritance is threatened by an election in November, survived a cardiac attack after a quick angioplasty done by a team of heart specialists who put a stent in his blocked right artery to improve the flow of blood.
The heir to Nepal’s embattled throne suffered 95 percent arterial obstruction caused by fat. Doctors said he had a family history of heart problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
After two-and-a-half days in the intensive cardiac care unit (CCU) in the hospital, where he was under supervision round the clock, the crown prince was shifted to a more private CCU for one-and-a-half days, after which he was allowed to move into a private room.
Though doctors said he was out of danger, the prince, known for his fondness for fast cars, football and discos, will have to go slow for at least three weeks.
During the first week, he has been advised to undertake only one-fourth of normal activities, increase it to half the next week and up to three-fourths in the third.
His diet will have to undergo a sea change. The diet chart given by the hospital rules out red meat, spicy and fried food, junk food and butter.
He has been asked instead to eat more fruit, green salads and vegetables. Smoking and drinking are also banned though family sources say he has cut down on spirits.
In the coming days, the royal family will have to keep him happy and avoid broaching subjects that could cause him stress.
It would be a difficult job given that in 70 days, Nepal faces a historic election when people will choose between their 238-year-old royal family and a new republic.
Also, the prince’s recovery and exit from the hospital coincides with the departure of a royal relative from the army hospital in Kathmandu under sorrowful circumstances.
Princess Helen, the king’s aunt by marriage, died around 5 a.m. Wednesday, after battling cancer for a long time.