Nepal surgeon who has been fasting for the last 12 days ended his indefinite hunger strike on Thursday after signing an 11-point agreement with government representatives earlier at the hospital where he had launched his indefinite hunger strike.
Dr. Govind KC broke his hunger strike by taking fruit juice offered by a 10-year-old patient and a cobbler who has been working at the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) gate.
“This is the achievement of 30 million Nepalis,” Dr. KC told mediapersons at the TUTH where he had been fasting. “We might lose it again; so the Nepalis are custodians of this agreement.”
Other doctors expressed solidarity with Dr. KC’s satyagraha-style protest by shutting down services at government hospitals throughout the country since Wednesday.
Dr KC began his strike, his fifth, after the government did not respond to his ultimatum on fulfilling his 10-point demands. Days before the hunger strike began, the government had decided to act upon letter of intent (LoI) issued to four medical colleges by granting them affiliation under TUTH. All of his demands, except dismissing ministers and top officials from the Tribhuwan University (TU), and Nepal Medical Council, were met by the government.
The agreement was signed by Dr. KC and Dr. Anjani Kumar Jha, president of Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and two government representatives, Chief Secretary Lila Mani Paudyal and National Planning Commission vice-chairperson Dr. Govind Pokharel.
Among the demands accepted by the government are, not to grant affiliation to any new medical colleges until a new medical education policy was formulated, to implement the recommendations of the committee working on medical education policy, and authorising the committee to rescind affiliation of those medical colleges that do not meet criteria.
The government also agreed to form an investigation commission under a former judge of an Appellate Court (higher court) within a week to look into the decisions of TU, Kathmandu University and Nepal Medical Council officials to issue Letter of Intent to the four new medical colleges. One of the proposed colleges is part of Manmohan Memorial Hospital which is run by a co-operative of CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) leaders and members. The yet-to-be-formed commission would have to submit its report in two months.
Additionally, the report of a committee that had investigated irregularities in the medical sector would be sent to anti-corruption body, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), for implementation.
Dr. KC and his supporters – doctors and medical college students – have been arguing that the medical education was under the grip of “medical mafia” and that the government was not acting against them.
Doctors resume services
Doctors of government hospitals who had halted services at the out patients department (OPD) to express solidarity with Dr. KC decided to resume services after the agreement. Patients visiting government hospitals, according to local reports, were turned away, saying the doctors were on indefinite strike.
