NC won’t allow house proceedings until govt passes proposal of two hospitals: Bishwokarma
KATHMANDU, Jan 23: Main opposition party Nepali Congress lawmaker Min Bahadur Bishwokarma warned that they would not allow the house proceedings until the government decides to give continuity to Girija Prasad Koirala Respiratory Hospital and Sushil Koirala Cancer Hospital, named after two former NC presidents.
After the lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties resorted to scuffle over the tabling of controversial National Medical Education Bill and the issue of two hospitals, the meeting was put off until January 25.
“Of the 11 hospitals proposed to be put under the federal government, the cabinet has endorsed the continuation of nine hospitals except the two hospitals being established in the names of late Girija Prasad Koiral and Sushil Koirala in Tanahu and Banke respectively,” said Bishwokarma at an interaction program organized by Reporters Club Nepal on Wednesday.
“Although the health minister submitted the proposal of 11 hospitals, the cabinet only endorsed nine. The prime minister said that no decisions regarding these two hospitals will be made sooner,” he added. “The government is trying to dissolve the two hospitals being established in the name of two NC leaders.”
“Monmohan Memorial Hospital has been endorsed. I wonder why Girija Hospital and Sushil Koirala Hospital are not?”
Bishwokarma also said that the NC will not let the government table the National Medical Education Bill without addressing Dr Govinda KC’s concerns.
Dr KC has been staging 16th hunger strike for the past two weeks after the the Education and Health Committee of the legislature parliament endorsed the report on Medical Education Bill against the agreement forged between Dr KC and the government on July 26 last year.
“The government has neglected the agreement reached with Dr KC and has not shown interest for any talks.”
“The government is forcefully trying to endorse the Bill. But we won’t let this happen until the government corrects the Bill. We will not allow the house proceedings until the government revises the controversial decision of the cabinet,” he added.
Bishwokarma also accused Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara of running the parliament business in the interest of the ruling party.