HoR panel discusses medical education bill

Kathmandu September 30

Amid threat of fresh hunger strike by senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC over the National Medical Education Bill, Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives today discussed the bill with some education institutions today.

The panel sought opinions of the office bearers of Karnali Academy of Health Science, Tribhuvan University and Nepal Medical Council. The panel has called office bearers of Nursing Council, Nursing Association, Ayurveda Council, Pharmacy Council, Private Medical College Association, Health Entrepreneurs Council and the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training for discussion on the bill tomorrow.

Dr KC with whom the government signed a nine-point deal recently is miffed at the government for not passing the bill in the budget session of the Parliament. The government had presented the bill in the Parliament on July 27, but it was not even discussed. The House sent the bill to the relevant parliamentary panel for comprehensive discussion. Representatives of Tribhuvan University and Nepal Medical Council have strongly opposed the Kedar Bhakta Mathema-led commission’s report, on the basis of which the bill was drafted.

They also said that common entrance and admission could be the best option for ensuring fair medical education. They said that the bill proposed to form a   commission under the prime minister, but the commission should only be given coordinating role and not unlimited powers as has been proposed now.

Tribhuvan University Vice-chancellor Tirtha Khaniya said that the government and the Parliament had unnecessarily interfered in the autonomy of the TU thereby undermining the dignity of the university. “One university should be allowed to open only one medical college,” he said and added that Tribhuvan University would follow the government’s policies.

“The medical education bill is neither necessary nor valid,” said Sudha Tripathi, rector of Tribhuvan University.

Chairman of Nepal Medical Council Dharma Kant Baskota said if a powerful commission failed to monitor the medical colleges then such a provision would be meaningless.  “The Mathema report is flawed, the bill has been drafted on the basis of this report, so it may not be the best bill,” Baskota said. According to him, existing structures should be made more functional rather than creating new structures.

Vice-chancellor of Karnali Health Science Rajendra Raj Wagle said the National Medical Education Bill should be passed by the Parliament as soon as possible. “Karnali has suffered humiliation for long and it should not suffer humiliation anymore,” he said. Vice-chancellor of Patan Academy of Health Science Bharat Kumar Yadav said the commission should not intervene in the affairs of universities and health institutions.