KATHMANDU, July 24: Dr Govinda KC, senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), began his 11th fast-unto-death from Monday.

Organizing a press meet at TUTH, Dr KC, who is also a professor at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), demanded that the government bring Medical Education Act, slash fees of postgraduate studies in medicine from Rs 3.1 million to Rs 2.2 million, appoint four assistant deans at IOM and campus chief immediately and probe into the irregularities of TU officials and take action against them.

Issuing a seven-point demand, Dr KC said that the government did not show seriousness to address his demands. “So, I have to stage another strike to draw its attention. “The draft of the proposed Medical Education Act has been changed in order to serve the medical mafia. The bill should be passed as it was drafted including the suggestions from us in line with the past agreements and recommendations of the Mathema Committee report,” he said. “My other demands should be addressed this time without delay.”

Dr KC had staged his 10th fast-unto-death from November 13, 2016 against “the anarchy prevailing in the medical education sector” and it ended in three weeks after another agreement with the government. KC ended his 10th hunger strike following a 12-point agreement with the government representatives on December 4, 2016.

The agreement included bringing the Medical Education Act, implementing past agreements, stopping new affiliations to private medical colleges before introducing new rules, ending commercialization of medical education, forming panel to probe irregularities in the medical education sector, opening one government medical college in each province, and taking action against TU officials “who resorted to undermine medical education.”

TU appoints IOM chief and 4 assistant deans

Meanwhile, a meeting of TU’s Executive Council of appointed a campus chief and assistant deans at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on Monday. The executive body of TU appointed Dr Pratap Narayan as the campus chief of IOM.

Likewise, the council appointed Dr Rajendra Guragain, Dr Madhu Devkota, Dr Dwarika Shrestha and Mandira Panta as assistant deans of the institute.

 
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