KATHMANDU: The government on Sunday night forged a four-point agreement with Prof Dr Govinda KC, who has been on the fast-unto-death demanding reforms in Nepal's medical education for the past 15 days.

After the agreement, the veteran orthopaedic surgeon is set to formally end his hunger strike tomorrow.

Dr KC himself and Senendra Raj Upreti, the government talks team coordinator and Secretary at the Ministry of Health, signed the agreement at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Putting forth major four demands, Dr KC on July 10 had begun his hunger strike at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

It was his eighth hunger strike.

Points of agreement

• To include the provision of at least one state-run medical college in all provinces in the proposed bill
• Not to grant permission to new medical, dental and nursing colleges for 10 years in the Kathmandu Valley while sticking to the past agreement apropos to the renewal of already issued letters of intent
• To include fee structure for medical education and number of seats in regulation while the proposed bill already has made it clear that the fixation of fees and number of seats would kept under the jurisprudence of Medical Education Commission
• To include in the proposed medical education bill a provision of central entrance examination from the next academic session addressing legal issues of all universities and health science academies
• To include in the bill a provision that experts in all universities and health science academies that currently hold entrance exams would be used while preparing regulation for the entrance examination directorate.
• No need to touch Dr KC's demand of impeachment motion against Lokman Singh Karki, the chief of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, and CIAA commissioner as the matter was under the jurisprudence of the Parliament and it already entered the Parliament.
• The state-run National Academy of Medical Sciences, which runs the Bir Hospital, to acquire the hospital building at Swayambhu and another build at Dahachok of proposed Health Science Academy -- run by Nepal Swasthya Sewa Sahakari Sanstha Limited -- and operate it in the name of former Prime Minister late Man Mohan Adhikari. Provide funds to NAMS to pay for the properties after evaluating them by a team of experts.
• Implement the past agreements made with him to be implemented
• Education Minister, who is Tribhuvan University's Pro-Chancellor by virtue of his position, to tell the Vice-Chancellor to immediately appoint the dean at Institute of Medicine
• Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to write to the stakeholders to admit students based on the merit and charge them fixed fees only

Dr Govinda KC fast-unto-death

Time

Date

Days

1st

July 5-8, 2012

4

2nd

August 11-17, 2012

6

3rd

January 11-24, 2014

14

4th

February 8-15,  2014

8

5th

February 20-March 3 , 2015

12

6th

August 24  – September 6, 2015

14

7th

September 19-29, 2015

11

8th

July 10-24, 2016

15 (till July 24)

Thousands of people had taken part in a demonstration in Kathmandu yesterday, expressing solidarity to Dr KC, to pile pressure on the government to address his demands.

SEE ALSO:

• Demonstration to express solidarity with Dr KC