Nepal's last king Gyanendra Shah suffers 'mild' heart attack

KATHMANDU: Nepal's last king Gyanendra Shah was admitted to a hospital here following a "mild" heart attack and is recovering well after an angioplasty was performed on him, his doctor said today.

Shah, 67, was rushed to the Norvic Hospital late last night after he complained of uneasiness in the chest, senior cardiologist Bharat Rawat told PTI.

Shah's left artery was 100 per cent blocked so a procedure was performed last night to open the obstruction, Rawat said.

Doctors said this was a "mild heart-attack" and that Shah was recovering well in a private ICU of the hospital. They said he could be discharged by tomorrow if his condition remains stable.

Dozens of well-wishers had crowded the hospital's grounds upon hearing the news.

Former Prime Minister and senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai visited the hospital to learn about Shah's health condition.

Shah was crowned as king of Nepal in 2001 after his elder brother Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and his family were killed in a massacre at the Royal Palace.

An investigation blamed Birendra's son Dipendra, who was among the dead, for the massacre.

Shah stepped down in 2008, after a popular revolt forced him to abdicate, and the centuries-old monarchy was abolished, turning the country into a republic by the Constituent Assembly.

Shah became deeply unpopular when he seized direct control of the nation in 2005, claiming mainstream parties had failed to tackle the deadly Maoist insurgency.

He has kept a low-profile and has occasionally made public appearances.