Kathmandu, October 1

The Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives, which is discussing the National Medical Education Bill, will hold further meetings on the bill only after Dashain.

Dr Govinda KC, who wants the bill to be passed by the Parliament immediately, has threatened to stage fresh hunger strike if his demands are not met.

The process of finalising the bill will take time, as the committee has not yet started clause-wise discussion. The sub-committee of Education and Health Committee led by lawmaker Bhairab Bahadur Singh today ended discussion on the bill with stakeholders.

A member of the committee said clause-wise discussion with lawmakers who had registered the amendments would be held after Dashain.

Dr KC, who had signed a nine-point deal with the government,  is miffed at the government for not ensuring the passage of the bill during the recently concluded session of the Parliament.

The committee today discussed the bill’s provisions with office bearers of Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training Association, Nursing Association of Nepal, Nepal Nursing Council, Nepal Ayurveda Medical Council, Association of Private Medical Colleges of Nepal and Health Entrepreneurs Council.

The relevant panel has already discussed the bill with Mathema commission members and also heard the arguments of Dr KC almost a month ago. The government had presented the bill in the Parliament on July 27.

President of Nursing Association of Nepal Prof Tara Pokharel and member of Nepal Nursing Council Prof Laxmi Tamang said the bill didn’t include the concerns of nurses. “If the government didn’t address our demands in the bill, 82,000 nurses would resort to strike,” Pokharel warned.

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