Kathmandu, June 7

Dr Govinda KC, senior orthopaedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, has threatened to launch a fresh protest if the government did not revise the Scholarship Management and Mobilisation Procedure.

The government has decided that medical students, who have been awarded scholarship to study MD, should work as a civil servant for five years after completion of their studies. Dr KC has demanded that such doctors be made to work as civil servant only for two years. It is also mandatory for medical students awarded scholarship to study MBBS to work in government hospitals for two years.

He has also demanded immediate passage of Medical Education Act, decentralisation of health services, availability of government hospitals in rural areas and timely increment of facilities for doctors.

“We will not accept the government’s decision that requires medical students who complete their master’s degree on scholarship to serve in government hospitals for five years,” said Dr KC issuing  press statement.

“Scholarship Management and Mobilisation Procedure issued by the Ministry of Health and Population and decisions taken by the Ministry of Education regarding uniformity in medical entrance examination and allocation of seats for medical colleges are not practical,” said Dr KC.

Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s move making five years of service in government-run hospitals mandatory for students pursuing master’s degree in medicine on scholarship.

Issuing a press release today, it said that the government should make such doctors work in government hospitals only for two years. It also warned that any decision taken without consulting NMA would not be acceptable.