Kathmandu, November 5

Protesting against exorbitant fees charged by medical colleges, students staged demonstration in the capital today demanding that the extra fees taken from them be returned at the earliest.

Agitating students have demanded government’s intervention to ensure that all the medical colleges returned the extra fees.

Students from Chitwan Medical College, Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa, and National Medical College, Birgunj, have jointly staged protest in the capital as medical colleges refused to return the extra fees. Government had given a month’s ultimatum to return the extra charges.

Protesting against exorbitant fees charged against the government rule, the Medical Education Struggle Committee had organised a demonstration earlier in Chitwan.

Students of Chitwan Medical College had ended their protest with the signing of an agreement with the college authorities on September 21, at District Administration Office, Chitwan.

A meeting was held at Chitwan District Administration Office between college students and college administrators.

The agreement stated that either the college would return the extra fees taken from students or adjusted the fees by November 4.

“But they have neither returned our money nor have they adjusted the fees yet. We are here to exert pressure on both the medical colleges and the government to address our demands,” said a student, who had arrived in the capital today morning from Chitwan to take part in the protest. “The government should ensure us that there is a rule of law in the country. Our protest is not targeted at any individual or any particular organisation, but it is against anomalies and irregularities in the medical education sector,” said Prakash Chand, co-ordinator of the Medical Education Struggle Committee.

Medical education and medical services should be accessible to all the Nepalis. Students living in remote areas have also the right to dream of being a doctor, Chand added.

“Decision taken by the government regarding medical fees should be implemented.

Then only we can feel that there is a rule of law in the country,” Chand added. Students also demanded that the life of Dr Govinda KC, be saved. Dr KC has begun his 17th hunger strike in Dadeldhura district from yesterday, demanding that anomalies and irregularities prevalent in medical colleges be stopped and the extra fees taken from the students be returned.

The government had fixed Rs 3.85 million for MBBS programme in Kathmandu valley and Rs 4.24 million for students pursuing MBBS studies outside Kathmandu valley, in the last fiscal.

Fees for Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery was fixed at Rs 1.93 million in the last fiscal. The colleges, however, had charged Rs 12 to 15 lakh extra from students.

The government, earlier, had increased the fees for MBBS and BDS programmes for this fiscal. As per the revised fee structure, a Nepali student pursuing MBBS inside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.02 million for a five-and-a-half-year course and students pursuing MBBS outside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.44 million.