KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) closed for the second consecutive day today due to the ‘non-cooperation’ movement of the joint struggle committee of doctors, paramedics, professor and students. Talks between the agitating party and the TUTH management committee ended inconclusively.

The management committee and the Dean’s office had held a dialogue yesterday as well. However, the discussions ended without any headway.

Dr Arun Sayami, Dean of the Institute of Medicine said the students were dissatisfied with the investigative committee that has been formed under Govinda Acharya, the Dean of faculty of management.

Talking to The Himalayan Times, he said the hospital will operate in the same manner as it did today and that their protest would go on as they don’t have any alternative.

He said the management is holding talks with the vice-chancellor regarding the demands.

He added that they are negotiating through mediators and are also seeking help of consumers’ forum in the case.

However, Dr Deebya Raj Mishra, spokesperson for the joint struggle committee, said the officials of the Dean’s office boycotted the meeting after they demanded the latter’s resignation.

He further said that the committee that has been formed by the university has just been asked to investigate the vandalising of the hospital leaving other issues like suppressing of the students protests and leaking of the question paper aside.

“To put it simply, it was unable to include the mandate of our protest programme,” Mishra said. “Although we demanded officials from the Dean’s office resign to make the investigation fair, they are not ready for this,” he added.

“The management committee has in principle agreed to reschedule the examination and promote a new education system” the spokesperson said.

The struggle committee is demanding the resignation of the Dean of the Institute of Medicine Dr Sayami, a fair probe into the leakinf out of question papers, cancellation of the entrance examination of post-graduation studies and a re-examination.

Govinda Acharya said they will submit their report by Friday, while he refused to divulge more on the issues.

Janardan Nepal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said they are trying to work with consensus with all parties and will take steps according to recommendations of the committee.