NEPAL: HEART DOCTOR EXAMINES MAOIST CHIEF

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000738 SIPDIS SIPDIS MED FOR LARRY BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2017 TAGS: PGOV PTER PINR AMED NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: HEART DOCTOR EXAMINES MAOIST CHIEF Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) Cardiologist Gets Request He Can't Refuse -------------- ¶1. (C) Dr. Bharat Rawat, a prominent cardiologist who works at Norvic Escorts International Hospital in Kathmandu, told the Ambassador recently that he had received a request that he could not refuse from the Maoists not long ago. According to Dr. Rawat, a group of Maoists had shown up at his office and insisted that he go with them. At first, Dr. Rawat said, he had feared for his life. He explained to the Ambassador that the medical profession had been the frequent target of Maoist extortion demands. Doctors who had failed to pay had suffered dire consequences. In his case, after traveling across the city, he had found himself in a modest building. To his surprise, he was ushered in to see the Maoist chief, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda. Prachanda asked him to perform a physical. Dr. Rawat demurred, saying he did not have any of his instruments, and offered to see Prachanda in his clinic. Prachanda rejected that option and insisted on being seen then and there. Dr. Rawat reported that he hurriedly contacted an assistant and urged the aide to bring him a general medical kit so he could conduct an exam. Prachanda Appears Healthy -------------- ¶2. (C) Dr. Rawat stated to the Ambassador that Prachanda appeared to be generally healthy. That said, Prachanda himself acknowledged that he both smoked and drank and was not getting enough exercise; as a result, Prachanda was carrying more weight than he should. The cardiologist admitted that he did not have the advantage of being able to do any blood work or to conduct other more complicated tests, and hoped to see Prachanda at his clinic someday to conduct a more thorough test. Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) Dr. Rawat has a very good reputation as a professional, and the Mission has referred patients to him on numerous occasions. He strikes us as a reliable source of information. As for Prachanda's health, his expanding waistline over the past year has been obvious to even the most casual observer. With King Gyanendra having lost his position as Head of State since the adoption of the Interim Constitution in January and Prime Minister and de facto Head of State G.P. Koirala in very poor health, Prachanda, who is 52, may be looking to his future. If he wishes to become Nepal's first President, as some observers here suggest, he will need to stay healthy. MORIARTY