KATHMANDU, Nov 10: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has authenticated the ‘National Medical Education Ordinance – 2017’, three weeks after it was promised to Prof Dr Govinda KC.

The Head-of-the-State, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on October 23, issued the Ordinance in accordance with the Article 114(1) of the Nepal’s Constitution, the Office of the President said.

The new ordinance puts a strict 10-year moratorium on establishing new medical institutions within the Kathmandu valley. The newly enacted law also restricts universities to grant affiliation to only five medical colleges each.

With the new enforcement, Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University cannot issue affiliation to any more colleges.

Earlier, on Thursday Dr KC had called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to thank him for the government decision to bring the Medical Act, one of his demands, through an ordinance, requesting him to make an initiation for its authentication by the President.