Dr Govinda KC, senior professor at the Institute of Medicine (IoM), said on Monday that staging an indefinite hunger strike was not his choice but a compulsion created by the government.
Dr KC, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 10 days, said that he has not been demanding anything new but only the implementation of pacts agreed upon by the government in the past.
"This is not my choice and I am not asking them to fulfill any new demands," Dr KC told Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal and Dr Govinda Pokharel, vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), who had reached the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) on Monday to persuade him to break his ongoing fast.
Chief Secretary Paudyal and NPC VC Pokharel requested Dr KC to be flexible over his demands and pay attention to his worsening health condition. "We do not have any differences regarding the issues raised by you. But there are a lot of things in the health sector to which you can contribute so much," VC Pokharel said to Dr KC.
VC Pokharel and Chief Secretary Paudyal spent hours with Dr KC and his representatives to persuade him to be flexible over his demands. "We are trying to find some meeting point," said Pokharel.
Pokharel and Paudyal had reached the TUTH following a meeting of representatives of the Nepal Medical Association (NMA), an umbrella organization of medical doctors, with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. The NMA representatives met three other ministers -- Narahari Acharya, Mahesh Acharya and Ram Sharan Mahat -- along with Koirala. PM Koirala had sent VC Pokharel and Chief Secretary Paudyal to persuade Dr KC.
"VC Pokharel and Chief Secretary Paudyal talked with Prof YP Singh, representative of Dr KC. But I can't say what progress they made," said Dr Kedar Narsing KC, former chairman of NMA, who is working for a breakthrough in Dr KC's campaign.
The government side and Dr KC's representatives resumed talk Monday evening as well.
Dr KC, however, complained that the government does not seem serious towards the demands put forth by him.
Resident doctors not to treat patients at TUTH from Tuesday
Accusing the government of being totally indifferent towards the worsening health condition of Dr Govinda KC, resident doctors at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) have decided to boycott even indoor services from Tuesday.
Hundreds of patients admitted to TUTH will be left to suffer, as resident doctors are the main asset of the hospital.
An emergency meeting of the National Resident Doctors Association (NRDA) held Monday decided not to provide indoor services from Tuesday. "We have decided not to attain to patients admitted to hospital from Tuesday as the government seems apathetic towards Dr KC's critical condition," said Dr Subarna Gautam, a resident doctor at the hospital.
Resident doctors pursuing MD/MS degrees under IoM, who are vital for the hospital's services, have been refusing to attend to patients since Friday.
Similarly, doctors across the country on Monday attended to patients in hospital premises wearing black arm bands as called for by NMA.
Meanwhile, NMA Chairman Dr Anjani Kumar Jha said that he will start a relay hunger strike on Tuesday to express solidarity with Dr KC. He urged the government to respond to Dr KC's demand immediately or face NMA's harsh decision. "We are not in a position to take care of patients as one of our fellow doctors is himself in critical condition," said Dr Jha. He urged all patients thinking of seeking heath services to do so within Tuesday. "We may not be able to provide our services from Wednesday. I wish to warn the government that it will have to take patients outside the country from Wednesday if Dr KC's demands are not responded to," said Dr Jha.
Hundreds express solidarity with Dr KC's demands
Hundreds of people from various walks of life and members of the general public staged a sit-in protest outside the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar Monday morning to pressure the government to heed the demands put forth by Dr KC.
Students from various colleges in the capital and members of the general public, who reached Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to express solidarity with Dr KC's cause, marched towards Baluwatar, ignoring the abrupt rainfall. Carrying placards with slogans such as 'I am with Dr KC,' and 'Save Dr KC', the protesters chanted slogans against medical mafia. They also observed one minute's silence over the moribund state mechanism.
Chairman Dahal too expresses solidarity
UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday visited Dr Govinda KC to express his solidarity with the cause for which he has been staging an indefinite hunger strike since March 23. Dahal lauded Dr KC's determination. "I am highly inspired by your determination. We must take inspiration from you," he told Dr KC. The demands forwarded by Dr KC were relevant and he would raise the issue forcefully at the meeting of top leaders of the political parties, he said.
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