KATHMANDU: The government’s plan to airlift 25-year-old ride-share driver Ganesh Nepali to India for advanced medical treatment has been temporarily suspended due to his unstable health condition.

While an air ambulance and coordination with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi were fully finalized, the attending medical team at Bir Hospital concluded that transferring him on ventilator support poses too high of a risk at this stage.

Nepali, a resident of Mugu, is currently fighting for his life in the Burn Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after attempting self-immolation outside Gate 3 of the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar at around 1:45 PM on Thursday.

The incident reportedly transpired after a verbal altercation with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City police, who had placed a wheel lock on his motorcycle over a parking dispute.

In response, Nepali extracted petrol from his vehicle’s fuel tank, poured it over himself, and set himself on fire.

Nearby police personnel quickly extinguished the flames with water and rushed him to the hospital.

Medical evaluations reveal that Nepali sustained deep burns covering 55 to 60 percent of his body, heavily impacting his face, head, neck, chest, and arms.

A specialized 21-member medical collective—led by Dr. Piyush Dahal, Coordinator of the Plastic Surgery Department, alongside critical care experts and anesthesiologists—is working continuously to stabilize his blood pressure and vital signs.

Doctors emphasize that the initial 24 to 72 hours remain highly critical due to severe risks of fluid loss, respiratory distress, and systemic infections.

Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and members of the Prime Minister’s secretariat remained on standby at Bir Hospital overnight to monitor the situation.

Although the specialized cross-border transfer has been delayed, officials reiterated that the state will completely fund Nepali’s current treatment at Bir Hospital and will proceed with the medical flight to New Delhi as soon as his condition stabilizes enough for safe travel.