Netizens on Weibo send wishes for Mr. Meng's safety and health. Image source: the patient’s Weibo account.
Mr. Meng suffered a brain hemorrhage while traveling in Nepal—what happened? Thanks to a relay of help from Weibo users, he has now been transferred to Nepal’s top brain surgery hospital.
“My father came to Nepal for a holiday during the New Year and suddenly had a brain hemorrhage—the situation was critical…” At 10:38 p.m. on February 12, a Weibo post by Sina Weibo user “@MMMMM梦MMMMM” touched the hearts of tens of thousands of netizens. Weibo celebrities such as @姚晨 and @舒淇 also reposted the message and called for public assistance. By 6:35 p.m. that evening, reporters learned from the user’s Weibo that, with the help of local Chinese residents in Nepal, the patient had been transferred to the best local brain surgery hospital for treatment.
On February 12, Weibo user @MMMMM梦MMMMM, who was traveling in Nepal with her father, sought help online, stating that her father had suffered a brain hemorrhage and was being treated at a hospital in Kathmandu. Due to the very basic medical facilities there, they requested to return to China but received no assistance from the travel agency or airline. She appealed to netizens to help contact the Chinese Embassy in Nepal or relevant departments. After the message was posted, Weibo celebrities such as @姚晨 and @何冰 immediately reposted it, calling on Chinese people in Nepal to provide as much help as possible. By 7:30 p.m. that evening, the post had been reposted and commented on by nearly 18,000 netizens.
The plea for help stated, “We can’t get through to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, the travel agency’s service is terrible, and the airline won’t let him board the plane due to liability concerns…” In response, the official Weibo account of the travel agency posted a statement at 5:09 p.m. that day, saying that after receiving the plea at 11 p.m. on February 11, they immediately set up an emergency team, mobilized local resources, booked flights to Kathmandu, sent the patient to a local hospital, and paid all related expenses in advance. Because doctors advised against long-distance flights due to the brain condition, transferring the patient back to China for treatment is not possible at the moment. Currently, a dedicated staff member is staying in Nepal to assist with treatment and actively communicating with the embassy. The airline has not yet issued a response.
After the plea for help was posted, many netizens expressed concern and offered advice and assistance. Weibo user @gesangqingyuan in Nepal saw the post, immediately contacted the family, provided their mobile number, and mentioned that their husband is a doctor in Nepal who could help. The Shanghai office of Nepal Airlines also posted on Weibo yesterday afternoon, advising the user not to move the patient blindly out of panic, warning that air travel would only worsen the condition. They explained that patients with cerebral hemorrhage truly cannot fly—even if family members agree, airlines require a doctor’s certificate confirming fitness for flight, or else they cannot accept such patients. This applies to any airline. Meanwhile, the official Weibo account of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Public Diplomacy Office, @外交小灵通, also closely monitored the incident, providing the contact number of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal to the family yesterday afternoon and updating the situation on Weibo. Netizens such as @文婷evita and @丁马赫 praised these efforts.
“He has been transferred to Nepal’s best brain surgery hospital. Everyone can rest assured now. The Chinese Embassy and fellow travelers in Kathmandu are on-site visiting. Please be reassured—Chinese people really do stick together!” At 4:54 p.m. yesterday, @gesangqingyuan posted an update to reassure everyone concerned. A few hours later, the original poster @MMMMM梦MMMMM also confirmed the news on Weibo and mentioned that doctors from the best local brain surgery hospital had held a consultation. However, she told reporters, “My father lost the optimal three-hour treatment window in Chitwan. His condition is now very serious. The doctors here treating brain conditions said there is severe arterial bleeding and swelling, making immediate surgery impossible. He can only be observed in the ICU for now. Surgery to remove the issue may only be possible once the condition stabilizes.”
Weibo user @gesangqingyuan also called on netizens not to send more messages to the patient’s family via Weibo and hoped the patient could receive the best possible care.