KATHMANDU, April 29: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli chaired the 19th meeting of the Medical Education Commission on Monday. The meeting decided that private medical colleges must provide increased living allowance for resident doctors effective from the date when a decision in this regard was taken earlier. The commission also directed resident doctors to call off their protests and return to their work and studies.
At its 16th meeting on February 7, the commission had decided that private medical colleges must provide postgraduate resident doctors a monthly living allowance of Rs 48,737, equivalent to that provided in government institutions.
The meeting accepted the recommendations submitted by an 11-member task force, which reviewed the seat numbers and fee structures for undergraduate MBBS and BDS programs, considering the demands of private medical colleges.
MEC approves equal living allowance for private medical college...
At the meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, Dr Deepak Kafle, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology and coordinator of the task force, handed the report to Commission Chairperson and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
The report opened the way to review seat numbers and fee structures by forming a technical committee to determine levels and standards, in accordance with the National Medical Education Act, 2018 (2075 BS).
In line with the Act, the Commission formed a technical committee under the coordination of Prof Dr Sujan Babu Marhattha from its Directorate of Planning, Coordination, and Academic Enhancement.
The committee will include Prof Dr Divyasinh Shah, an expert; Senior Chartered Accountant Mahesh Guragain; Chartered Accountant Santosh Khanal, representing private medical colleges; and undersecretaries from the ministries of education, health, and finance.
After the Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges hesitated to provide the same living allowance for resident doctors as government institutions due to uncertainty over funding, Prime Minister Oli led three meetings of the Commission to find a solution.
