KATHMANDU, March 28: Hundreds of patients, who reached the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) on Friday, returned home without receiving treatment as resident doctors were on strike.
Resident doctors perusing MD/MS degrees under the Institute of Medicine (IoM) refused to attend to patients on Friday in protest of the government indifference toward the deteriorating health condition of Dr Govinda KC, who is on fast-unto-death since Sunday.
TUTH residential docs to shun OPD services from Wednesday
Hundreds of patients who reached TUTH on Friday returned home without treatment. “Attending to patients at OPD is also a part of our academic program. But we have decided to boycott OPD services,” said Dr Ram Chandra Sapkota, a protesting student. He, however, informed that faculty doctors provided services to patients on Friday. “We have been attending to patients at the emergency ward,” he said.
Every day over 1,600 patients from across the country visit TUTH for out-patient services.
Students under IoM have shunned academic activities from Wednesday to press the government to fulfill Dr KC’s demands.
Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting held on Friday has entrusted Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikari, and Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav with holding talks with Dr KC in order to persuade him to break his hunger strike.
However, Dr KC stated that he will not hold talks with ministers as he belives that the talks is not going to be fruitful. “It will be a one-way talk,” he said. He says the government formed committee will not work until and unless government leadership musters the courage to challenge the “medical sector mafia”.
