Hundreds of students, professionals, social activists and general public gather in the premises of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj every day to express their solidarity to Prof Dr Govinda KC, who is currently on a fast-unto-death strike, demanding reforms in the field of medicine. Students of medical stream from different campuses in the Capital also staged a demonstration in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence in Baluwatar last Monday urging to meet Dr KC’s demands and end all ill-practices in the medical field. People have also taken to social media using the #IamwithDrKc hashtag to express their support.
As Dr KC’s strike continues despite his deteriorating health conditions, Republica’s Swastik Pandey talked to youths supporting Dr KC about what could other possible solutions be to bring about reform in the medical sector. Here’s what they had to say.
Prez Paudel assures constitutional solutions, appeals for calm
Siddhartha Bhandari
Institute of Medicine
The best part about a revolution is unity; and it is even more wonderful when the unity is among the intellectual citizens of the nation. The fast-unto-death of Prof Dr KC has united all the doctors, health professionals and medical as well as non-medical students of the nation and abroad. While the present government continues to turn a deaf ear to Dr KC’s demands, it should also know that the longer it takes to take some concrete decisions, the stronger the movement will be. Besides, the citizens will also be very much aware about the tenderness in our ruling system and our political leaders.
Ranju Darshana
National College Center for Development Studies
The chart showing the number of medical colleges and the population inside and outside the valley is so loud and clear. Learning materials for a medical student are patients who visit hospital for general check-up. At this stage, the number of hospitals is increasing but the quality they provide is declining. Solution for this issue can be giving permit to open only those medical colleges which strictly follow the criteria. A yearly or bi-yearly inspection of hospitals and the quality they provide is a must. Opening more and more medical colleges in the city areas is just one of the real life examples of infrastructures being centralized. Government should also focus on deprived zones.
Sugat Adhikari, MOE
I don’t think there’s a one-step solution to this problem. Sure, there might be a way to quench the blaze but it has more to do with how people think of medicine and doctors today. Doctors are the most valuable assets of the entire health system. Unless people realize the importance of doctors, understand how critical they are to our lives and how much thought and resources are invested in making a good doctor, this issue will keep coming again and again.
Bibek Mishra
Kathford International College
Dr KC has brought an important issue into light which could in fact ignite many more issues to the foregoing disastrous situation of the country in almost every sector. The best solution would be transparent development and proper utilization of allocated funds and international aids towards uplifting the situation of the health sector and other sectors as well. As far as medical colleges are concerned, it would be better if they’re handed over to the government as part of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) where patients pray for beds but won’t get one.
Sareesha Shrestha
Kathmandu Medical College
Well, in my opinion the solution to the issues highlighted by Dr KC lies in the heart of medical ethics. Medical institutions should be indulged in providing doctors of ‘quality’ instead of futile quantity. The whole idea of commercializing the medical sector by putting up medical institutions, irrespective of the inadequacy in resources and substandard quality of education provided, is detestable. The government and so-called ‘medical benefactors’ must rather focus on improving the existing conditions of medical departments and work for the welfare of medical sector heeding the voice of medical fraternity supporting Dr KC.
