KATHMANDU, Sept 5: As the government has not shown any interest in addressing his demands, Dr Govinda KC, professor at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), is all set to launch his 12th fast-unto-death from Wednesday.
“I issued warnings twice after the 11th strike but the government has not shown any response as of today. So I am going to begin another strike from tomorrow,” said Dr KC. “If the government does not do anything by 4PM tomorrow, I will go for a 12th hunger strike,” he added.
Dr KC postpones his 12th hunger-strike
According to Dr KC, the government should bring in the integrated medical education act immediately as per the recommendations of the Mathema Report. “The demands this time include immediate scrapping of the affiliation given to Kathmandu National Medical College, resignation of TU VC Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Rector Sudha Tripathi and Registrar Surya sPrasad Adhikari, and revoking of the TU decision on fees and seats at medical colleges,” said Dr KC.
An executive meeting chaired by VC Khaniya decided secretly to issue affiliation to Kathmandu National Medical College. This was during Dr KC's 11th hunger strike, which was postponed on the 23rd day on August 15. The controversial medical college belongs to cadres of the CPN-UML.
One of Dr KC's demands is not to allow the opening of any new medical college in Kathmandu Valley for the next 10 years.
Dr KC said that the government and TU went against the spirit of past agreements and the demands put forward during different hunger strikes. “Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is now aloof from everything,” he said. “Every sector is intimidated by the mafia. They are not only mafia but criminals,” he said.
Dr KC, senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, began his 11th fast-unto-death from July 24; demanding that the government bring the Medical Education Act as per the Mathema Report, slash fees for postgraduate studies in medicine from Rs 3.1 million to Rs 2.2 million, appoint four assistant deans at IOM and the campus chief immediately, probe irregularities by TU officials and take action against them for userping IOM's authority to take decisions about medical colleges.
