Dr KC, a senior professor at the Institute of Medicine (IoM), had warned that he would start a fast-unto-death from Wednesday if the government did not initiate steps to implement recommendations of Kedar Bhakta Mathema committee report on Health Profession Education Policy.However, Dr KC relented following a meeting with government representatives on Wednesday after they assured of government's willingness to implement the Mathema committee recommendations.
A team of government officials, which included vice chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC), Govinda Raj Pokhrel, Dr Yagya Bahadur Karki, secretaries from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Health (MoHP), met Dr KC at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) and persuaded him not to start the hunger strike.
"The government representatives have also committed to appoint office bearers to the vacant posts at seven universities on the basis of seniority, as per its promise made to us in the past," reads a statement issued by Dr KC.
The committee led by Kedar Bhakta Mathema submitted its report to the government on June 29. The report includes suggestion for creating a separate governing council or an apex body to regulate medical education in the country.
The committee's recommendations include a ceiling on fees for MBBS program at Rs 3.5 million and not more than 100 MBBS seats per medical college. The report has called for merit-based admissions in both government as well as private medical colleges.
Govt ready to implement Mathema committee report: Minister Adhikari
Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikari said that the ministry is highly positive toward the report submitted by Kedar Bhakta Mathema-led committee.
Amid a function held in capital on Wednesday, Minister Adhikari said that the MoHP is ready to implement the report submitted by the committee.
"We are positive towards most of the suggestions in the report and ready to implement them," said minister Adhikari. He also said that the ministry is ready to enforce common entrance provision and put a cap on fee for MBBS program at Rs 3.5 million and set limit on MBBS seats to 100 per medical college.
He also claimed that the ministry was also open to having system for merit-based admissions in both government as well as the private medical colleges.
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