Royalist protest: Three remain hospitalized one month on
Twenty others sustained gunshot wounds during the clash with police.
KATHMANDU: A month after the March 28 (Chaitra 15) royalist protest in Kathmandu turned violent, three of the injured are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the capital, while many others are grappling with severe financial hardships due to medical expenses and loss of livelihood.
Among the injured still hospitalized are Ramhari (Rhythm) Shrestha of Kavre, who was shot in the arm and is being treated at B&B Hospital; Rebika Khatri of Udayapur, shot in the thigh and currently receiving care at Civil Hospital; and Dilli Prasad Luintel of Bhojpur, shot in the abdomen and undergoing treatment at Trauma Center.
Doctors have completed a steel implant in Shrestha’s arm, but a nerve operation is still pending. Khatri’s recovery could take up to two more months, according to her family, as she continues to undergo surgeries due to the severity of her wounds.
Luintel remains in critical condition—two of his intestines are being kept outside his body, and another surgery is scheduled. “There’s no certainty about when I’ll be discharged,” said Luintel.
Despite government assurances that treatment would be provided free of cost, patients and their caretakers are facing mounting expenses for external medicines, daily sustenance, and accommodation. The financial burden has become overwhelming for many.
Ramchandra Budhathoki of Dolakha, who sustained shrapnel injuries in his hand, said his family is struggling to make ends meet. “I used to drive a vehicle to support my family,” he shared. “Now, even affording two meals a day is difficult. We’ve been buying everything on credit, with no idea how we’ll repay it.”
The violent protest claimed the lives of Avenue Television journalist Suresh Rajak and 29-year-old Sabin Maharjan of Kirtipur-4.
Twenty others sustained gunshot wounds during the clash with police.
As the injured continue to fight for recovery, their families are calling for more robust government support—both medical and financial—to navigate the aftermath of the tragedy.
