Kathmandu, February 5

The first meeting of Medical Education Commission was held in Baluwatar today.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba presided over the meeting that decided to accelerate MEC’s work and to set up its office inside the Ministry of Education. The meeting also decided to form a team led by the chairman of the Public Service Commission to recommend the vice-chairman of MEC.

“With the first meeting of the commission, we will start our work. We have decided not to make any changes in seats allocated for medical colleges and the fee structure of medical colleges will also remain the same this year. Next year, it will be done as per the National Medical Education Ordinance,” said Deepak Bohara, Minister of Health.

The government had formed the Medical Education Commission to monitor irregularities seen in the medical field and provide quality medical education in the country. The government had formed the commission on the recommendation of the Kedar Bhakta Mathema Commission and as per the agreement signed with Dr Govinda KC, senior orthopaedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Minister of Health and Minister of Education are the co-chairs in the commission.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had authenticated the National Medical Education Ordinance as per Article 114 of the constitution on November 11. As per the ordinance there is a provision for formation of a commission under the chairmanship of the PM.

As per the ordinance, the head office of the commission will be in Kathmandu and it can also open branch offices in the provinces. The commission will be an independent body, which will make policies regarding the letter of intent, affiliation and scrapping of affiliation of medical colleges.

The ordinance bars opening of new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley for the next 10 years. It also states that a hospital has to run for at least three years to be eligible for affiliation to run a medical college. As per the ordinance, a university will not be allowed to grant affiliation to more than five medical colleges. Likewise, affiliation cannot be granted to more than one medical college in a district and 75 per cent seats in government medical colleges should be allocated for scholarships.

There will be a single entrance examination throughout the country for all students seeking to pursue medicinal studies.