Dr KC's representatives demand political-level talks team

KATHMANDU: Coordinator of the talks team representing Dr Govinda KC in the ongoing dialogues with the government said the team would not continue the talks unless the government deployed a political level team for negotiation.

Dr Ranjan Kumar Sapkota said they wanted to hold talks with the political leadership as their demands were of political nature and they could not be addressed by the current negotiation team comprising senior administrators.

"It seems moving ahead in the current way is impossible," he told the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, "Either the government should directly fulfill our demands or a high-level talks with comprising political persons should be formed as our demands are multidimensional."

Meanwhile, coordinator of the government talks team, Health Secretary Dr Senendra Raj Upreti, said they were consulting experts about the ways forward.

"Some issues need discussion with experts," he said, "Though we forged consensus on some issues, we could not hold talks over political affairs."

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Putting forth major four demands, Dr KC on July 10 had begun his hunger strike at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

KC has accused Karki of protecting various corrupt people in the medical education sector and argued that the CIAA chief breached his jurisdiction as he interfered in the Kathmandu University.

He has also demanded impeachment motion against CIAA Commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak, arguing that he was also involved in activities against dignity of his position, in promoting irregularities in the medical education sector.

Dr Govinda KC fast-unto-death

Time

Date

Days

1st

July 5-8, 2012

4

2nd

August 11-17, 2012

6

3rd

January 11-24, 2014

14

4th

February 8-15,  2014

8

5th

February 20-March 3 , 2015

12

6th

August 24  – September 6, 2015

14

7th

September 19-29, 2015

11

8th

July 10, 2016-ongoing

14 (till July 23)

Another demand of Dr KC includes improvement in a draft of the Medical Education Act with objectives to establish at least a medical college in all provinces, to make education at the government medical colleges completely free and to halt affiliations to new colleges within Kathmandu Valley for next 10 years.

Likewise, he demanded that the government withdraw a bill on establishing an academy in the Capital which is currently under discussion at the Parliament. Dr KC argued that the bill was against a report of the high-level committee formed to draft new health education policy in the country, headed by educationist Prof Kedar Bhakta Mathema.

Likewise, he demanded implementation of the past agreements signed with him.

Whereas Dr KC enjoys a good support from social media users and members of the public, private medical colleges have been protesting his strike claiming he was against promotion of private medical colleges in Nepal.