KATHMANDU, August 25: Former health minister and parliament member Gagan Thapa registered a motion of public interest in parliament on Thursday, demanding that the prime minister cancel the affiliation issued by Tribhuvan University (TU) to Kathmandu National Medical College (KNMC).
Going against the existing rules, a high level TU meeting headed by Vice Chancellor Tirtha Raj Khaniya had secretly decided to issue affiliation to KNMC during Dr Govinda KC's 11th hunger strike, which was postponed on the 23rd day on August 15. One of Dr KC's key demands has been not allowing the establishment of any new medical college in the Kathmandu Valley for the next 10 years.
KNMC has neither an operational hospital nor does it have teaching faculties and doctors.
Lawmaker Thapa said that he registered the motion as PM Sher Bahadur Deuba is the Chancellor of TU and he can revoke the decision. “TU's decision has tried to deprive the people of quality health services,” he said, “TU has misinterpreted a Supreme Court verdict to grant affiliation to KNMC and has thus deceived the people.”
VC Khaniya claimed that he decided to issue affiliation to the medical college after the court directed TU to implement its verdict. “I was forced to grant affiliation to KNMC following pressure from the court, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Education,” he claimed. However, the court had directed TU to take a decision as per the law, instead of ruling to issue the affiliation.
The controversial medical college belongs to the cadres of the CPN-UML, Basruddin Ansari and his brother. The Ansari brothers had constructed a residential apartment complex at Ghattekulo of Kathmandu but they converted it into a medical college after they failed to sell the apartments. Ansari is also the managing director of the Birgunj-based National Medical College.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) formed an eight-member probe panel on August 22 to look into the issues pertaining to KNMC. The probe panel has been given a week to submit its report.
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