Pokhara, February 21

Chief Executive Officer of Manipal Medical College, Pokhara, Dr BM Nagpal warned that Manipal had been forced to mull over leaving Nepal due to frequent agitation on different pretexts, despite the fact that the concerned agencies, including the prime minister were  informed about the problem.

“We are providing services at subsidised cost to the Nepali people. If our need is not felt here, we will leave Nepal,” Nagpal warned. The agitation launched by Nepali doctors has caused chaos at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara.

Classes and health services including the out-patient department, emergency ward, and parturition ward were hit hard after doctors stopped working and staged a sit-in putting forth a charter of demands, including permanent status for those who have worked for over 240 days and also salary increment.

The doctors had previously launched an agitation with the same demands, disrupting classes for 86 days. They had called off the agitation to allow students to finish their medical exams, but have now resumed protest.

Dipak Prasad Koirala, an agitating doctor, said that the medical college had failed to abide by the agreement reached earlier. “The college management has hidden the report prepared by representatives of Kathmandu University, the Labour Department, and the Education Ministry,” Koirala charged. He accused the college of trying to keep doctors from learning about the report.

A committee comprising Kathmandu University’s Associate Dean Dr Rajendra Koju, Labour Department’s Director Hari Prasad Sharma, and Education Ministry’s Deputy Secretary Keshav Adhikari had held discussion with both the faculty and the college management and prepared a report a month ago.

The committee had recommended the formation of a study committee consisting of three members, one each from the faculty, the labour office, and the college management for suggestions. Agitating doctors, however, said that they had restarted the agitation as the management had not consulted them about formation of the committee.

Nagpal said they had sent a request to the Labour Department to send a representative and the management was preparing data of students and faculties. “We are ready to abide by the law of the land. We are disappointed by the repeated agitation launched by doctors,” he said.

According to Manipal, out of 79 Nepali faculties, 57 are permanent, and out of 45 Indian nationals, 24 are permanent. There are more than 800 staff members, including permanent and temporary staff in the college.