Kathmandu, July 17

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba today held a meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and drew the latter’s attention towards the deteriorating health condition of Dr Govinda KC, who is staging a fast-unto-death.

Dr KC has been on hunger strike in Jumla since June 30, demanding that the Medical Education Bill be tabled in the Parliament without changing the provisions in the ordinance that was issued by the erstwhile Nepali Congress-led government.

Expressing solidarity with demands of Dr Govinda KC, the Nepali Congress had recently sent a three-member parliamentary team to check Dr KC’s health.

During the meeting, former prime minister Deuba cautioned that it was the government’s responsibility to save Dr KC’s life by addressing his demands through dialogue, according to a press note issued by the Nepali Congress central office.

Former prime minister Deuba suggested that the issue could be resolved if the government tabled the bill including the same provisions in the ordinance presented by the previous government. He said the ordinance had been prepared in line with the demands of Dr KC, recommendations of the Mathema Commission and the public sentiment.

Deuba also warned that the government would have to face strong opposition from the Nepali Congress if it tried to push the bill through the Parliament by altering the provisions in the ordinance.

The government had yesterday formed a three-member talks team to hold dialogue with Dr KC.

A Cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar formed the talks team led by Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Secretary Khaga Raj Baral. Joint secretaries of the Ministry of Health and Population and Ministry of Home Affairs are the other members of the team.

The team was supposed to hold talks with a team of doctors representing Dr KC in Kathmandu, but that could not happen after the government team sought an official letter stating that the doctors’ team officially represented Dr KC.

The NC has said the government has been apathetic towards the demands of Dr KC and the overall health education sector reform. The party has also announced a series of nationwide protests.

The Nepali Congress also obstructed proceedings at the House of Representatives twice yesterday, demanding that the government save Dr Govinda KC’s life at the soonest possible and come up with the same provisions prepared by the previous Deuba-led government in the National Medical Education Ordinance.