Docs stage relay hunger strike in Dr KC’s support

Kathmandu, January 28

More than 200 doctors, including doctors associated with Nepal Medical Association, resident doctors and student doctors, staged relay hunger strike today on the premises of Ganesh Man Singh Bhawan of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Doctors staged relay hunger strike throughout the country in a bid to exert pressure on the government to address the demands of Dr Govinda KC, who has been on hunger strike for the last 20 days.

Nepal Medical Association had announced relay hunger strike in Ganesh Man Singh Bhawan and 16 branch offices of NMA yesterday.

President of NMA Dr Mukti Ram Shrestha, who has also joined the relay hunger strike, said doctors had been staging relay hunger strike without hampering health services. “We are doctors and our job is to provide health services to patients. So we are supporting Dr KC without halting any service,” he added.

He also said Dr KC’s hunger strike had entered the 20th day, but the government was reluctant to address his demands. “We will be forced to halt other health services to save Dr KC’s life if the government continues ignoring the demands of agitating doctors,” said Dr Shrestha.

One of the resident doctors, who is also involved in the relay hunger strike, said the participation of resident doctors and student doctors was very low in today’s relay hunger strike. He said, “Some doctors and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital administration have threatened to sack us if we participate in the relay hunger strike.”

Meanwhile, some unknown groups entered the place where doctors were staging relay hunger strike and threatened doctors not to stage hunger strike.

According to Pritam Subedi, aide to Dr KC, at least five people entered the place where doctors were staging hunger strike.

Meanwhile, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital has issued a press statement requesting doctors not to stage or join any kind of protest programme on the hospital premises.

Director of TUTH Prem Krishna Khadga said the hospital had requested all the doctors staging relay hunger strike to move from the hospital premises respecting the order of the Supreme Court.