Kathmandu, September 3

The talks between the government and Dr Govinda KC’s team failed to make any headway today.

A government delegation led by Chairperson of National Planning Commission Govinda Raj Pokharel held talks with Dr KC’s team comprising Dr Bhagwan Koirala, Dr YP Singh, Dr Jiwan Kshetrey, chairman of Nepal Medical Association and Nepal Professors’ Association to strike a deal on the eight-point demand put forth by the hunger striker.

Dr Kshetrey said the talks ended inconclusively after the government team reiterated the decisions earlier made by Social Committee of the Cabinet. “The government did not show any seriousness in implementing the recommendations made by the Mathema report,” he said.

The Mathema-report has recommended to the government not to grant affiliation to any new institution to run bachelor’s level medical, dental and nursing courses in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur for 10 years. But the the government decided not to grant affiliations to new medical colleges ‘until further decision’.

Similarly, the report has recommended not to provide LoI to any institutions to run medical, dental and nursing programmes which have not yet operated hospital with the capacity of 300 and 100 beds respectively. On the contrary, the government has decided to provide LoI to run medical, dental and nursing programmes only to the institutions which are in operation and have hospital with the capacity of 300 and 100 beds.

Meanwhile, NMC said it will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss its next future move in connection with Dr KC’s hunger strike.

Implement Mathema report: NSU

Kathmandu, September 3

Ruling Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Students’ Union today expressed solidarity with the hunger strike being staged by Dr Govinda KC, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Dr KC, a veteran doctor, has been staging a fast-unto-death for the past 11 days, demanding implementation of the report prepared by the Tribhuvan University’s former Vice Chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema-led high level task force. The report has recommended drafting a national policy to bring about reforms in health profession education.

Issuing a press statement today, NSU President Ranjit Karna urged the government to immediately address the demands of Dr KC and take action against people involved in irregularities in the medical education sector.

“Since the demands of Dr KC are related to issues of public concern, we appeal to all concerned health organisations and others to express their solidarity with Dr KC’s protest,” said Karna