Kathmandu, August 27

Despite his deteriorating health, Dr Govinda KC today said he would not break his fast-unto-death protest until all his six-point demand was fully implemented.

“I am not going to believe lip-service and verbal assurances of the government this time. I am firm in my stand that this hunger strike will not be called off until the demands are put into action,” Dr KC told The Himalayan Times on the fourth day of his sixth fast-unto-death.

The veteran orthopaedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital lambasted the government, accusing it of violating its own agreement with him and his followers in the past. “The government never implemented the agreements it reached with me and my followers for the betterment of medical education and the health sector in the past and forced me into resorting to hunger strike for the sixth time. My demands are the demands of millions who have always been deprived of good, quality and affordable medical education and health services. Commercialisation of medical education should end,” he said. His demands include an overhaul in medical education and health sector, and an end to the culture of political power-sharing in appointment of vice-chancellors in universities as well as implementation of the Mathema report submitted to the government.

On the government’s claim that the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has written to the concerned ministries to immediately implement 91 out of 112 recommendations made by the Mathema report, Dr KC said, “It is nothing more than a rumour to fool the public. The issues claimed to have been implemented by the government will only serve the vested interest of a handful, not the general public. It will not guarantee equal access of people to quality health. Moreover, the government has twisted some key issues mentioned in the Mathema report,” he said, without giving further details.

Dr KC alleged that the government had delayed making public the report to omit or alter some key points mentioned in the original report. “I strongly demand that the government implement the recommendations of the report to the letter,” he said.