KATHMANDU, Nov 12: Tribhuvan University (TU) is likely to appoint dean at the Institute of Medicine on the basis of political interest. This will not satisfy Dr Govinda KC of TU Teaching Hospital, who has warned to launch fast-onto-death strike from Saturday if the dean is not appointed on the basis of seniority.
Prof Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University and chair of Executive Council to appoint deans in faculties, said that seniority is only one criterion. “We have to think also academic excellence as per the rules to appoint the dean,” he added. “We don't care what the government and Dr KC agreed upon as the TU is an autonomous body, which is not obliged to implement their agreement.”
It clearly indicates that TU will go against the agreement made by the government with Dr KC to appoint the dean on the basis of seniority. TU authority is likely to appoint IOM dean on the basis of political power sharing, which has been given to the Nepali Congress as quota. As a result, the appointment process will not abide by selecting the senior-most candidate. According to the sources, Dr Jagadish Prakash Agrawal, Dr Bimal Kumar Sinha and Dr Gita Sayami on the senior most list respectively.
At present, the posts of four assistant deans have gone vacant from today meanwhile the tenure of acting dean also expired from today. Dr Sinha, who is going to get retirement after few weeks, was appointed as acting dean of IOM some nine months ago. “We will appoint dean on the recommendation of Executive Council. The dean will appoint the assistant deans,” said VC Khaniya.
Dr KC has said that he would stage hunger strike from tomorrow if TU does not follow the rule of seniority to appoint the dean. “The TU authority is guided by medical brokers and mafia,” he blamed.
Dr KC, who has issued his six-point demands, has given the government two weeks of time to address his demands.
The demands include sacking Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Vice Chancellor of Trubhuvan University for involving in the political game to appoint IOM dean; determining fees of MBBS as Rs 3.5M for Kathmandu Valley, Rs 3.85M for outside Valley and Rs 2M for BDS; not to issue affiliation to medical colleges before proposed medical education act is approved from parliament; not exclude recommendations proposed by Mathema Commission; forwarding process to impeach Lok Man Singh Karki, chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), beginning process to probe irregularities involved by CIAA commissioner raj Narayan Pathak; forming different probe committees to look into irregularities in medical institutions, and taking action against officials of IOM who were alleged by the Jaya Ram Giri Probe Commission.
Dr KC already staged nine fast-onto-death strikes in the past, demanding to bring reforms in the medical sector. “I will wait for two weeks if the TU does not appoint dean immediately or appoints dean on the basis of seniority. However, I will go for the strike after two weeks for other demands if they are not addressed until then,” he said.
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