Govt has addressed almost all the demands of Dr KC: State Minister Yadav
KATHMANDU, Jan 20: State Minister for Health and Population Dr Surendra Yadav has claimed that the government has accommodated all the demands of agitating arthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC.
“All the demands put by Dr KC has been included in the Bill,” said Minister Yadav at an interaction program organized by Reporters Club Nepal on Sunday.
Dr KC has been staging 16th hunger strike for the past two weeks demanding reforms in medical sector. He was brought to Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj from Ilam on Saturday after his health condition worsened.
He also blamed the opposition parties of raising the issue to defame the government.
Also speaking at the program, ruling party leader and former Health Minister Bansidhar Mishra claimed that almost all the demands raised by Dr KC has been addressed.
Dr KC and the government signed a nine-point deal on July 26 last year, in which the government has agreed to address all the demands of Dr KC by September 25.
But, Mishra claimed that the government has not promised to endorse the Medical Education Bill in the agreement inked with Dr KC. “The government has agreed to make efforts to pass the bill.”
“He should be celebrating instead of stating hunger strike. His primary demand was that Manmohan Medical College should not be opened in Kathmandu. It has been fulfilled now,” he said.
The Education and Health Committee of the Legislature Parliament on January 9 endorsed the report on Medical Education Bill against the agreement forged with Dr KC—paving way for the operation of B & C Medical College and Manmohan Medical College Kathmandu valley. The bill also has a provision that will grant affiliation to medical colleges outside the valley which is against the agreement that bars Tribhuvan and Kathmandu University from granting affiliation to more than five medical colleges. It also ignores the Mathema report, mentioning deadline to phase out CTEVT intermediate levels of medical education, and opening a new medical university.
He also advised agitating Dr KC not to teach moral lesson to them. “As a civil servant, he should be teaching instead of doing politics. Neither has he left his post of professor nor is he teaching. Why doesn’t he resign and join politics,” he said.
On the occasion, supporter of Dr KC and advocate Dr Surendra Bhandari accused the government of breaching the understanding reached with Dr KC.
“The government should become flexible and properly meet all the demands of Dr KC since his hunger strike speaks in favor of civil society.”