Dr Govinda KC breaks his fast after Saturday midnight deal with government
The Kathamdnu Post, Oct. 11, 2020
The doctor had started his 19th fast-unto-death
from Jumla on September 14 putting forth six demands.
Dr Govinda KC ended his longest ever fast-unto-death on Sunday
after an eight-point
deal with the government on Saturday midnight. KC started
his 19th
hunger strike on September 14. Sunday was the 28th day.
He took a sip of juice from one of the
patients at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj to break his
hunger strike on Sunday.
The agitating 63-year-old orthopaedic surgeon
agreed to a deal at midnight on Saturday after the government agreed to address
most of his demands related to medical education.
His 19th hunger strike that started in Jumla
on September 14 became the longest one ever since his first protest in July
2012. The record earlier of 27 days was of his 15th hunger
strike in July 2018.
The government has agreed to start MBBS and
other courses at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, from the next
academic session and commence medical education from Geta Medical College in
Kailali in Sudurpaschim Province and Rapti Academy of Health Sciences in Dang
from Lumbini Province by February 2024.
As per the deal, the government will expedite the construction
of the infrastructure to set up a government medical college in Bardibas,
Mahottari in Province 2 with a target to start MBBS course by February 2024.
Similarly, the government has also agreed to
start the construction of government medical colleges in Doti or Dadeldhura,
Udaypur and Illam or Panchthar within this year and expedite construction of
Ram Raja Prasad Singh Academy of Health Sciences in Saptari from Province 2.
The other points of agreement include expansion
of polymerase chain reaction tests and increasing the capacity of the
government hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 and other diseases. The
government has also agreed to allocate adequate budget for Bayalpata Hospital
in Achham to help it provide free treatment.
Preparing a draft bill on higher education and
an umbrella bill on medical education academies within three weeks with a
provision of appointing office bearers at universities and the health academies
in a fair manner are other agreements.
The government has agreed to appoint such
office bearers on the basis of seniority and performance until a law is in
place. An amendment to the National Medical
Education Act is also a part of the agreement.
“The agencies under the Nepal government and
other concerned agencies will implement the respective points of the
agreement,” reads one of the points in the agreement.
The deal doesn’t clearly talk about KC’s yet
another demand that corruption cases and properties of former and incumbent
commissioners of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse Authority be
investigated.
A point in the agreement says respective
agencies “will provide support” with regards to issues other than what have
been mentioned in the agreement.
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