Medical Education Bill cannot be withdrawn: Minister Pokharel

Kathmandu, July 19: Minister for Education, Science and Technology Girirajmani Pokharel today ruled out the possibility of pulling out the Medical Education Bill. He however, said that some revisions could be made in the bill.

“There is no possibility to withdraw the Bill as it has already entered the parliament process,” he said, adding that the House of Representatives would decide on it with due process, and the Medical Education Commission would conclude its some remaining subjects.

The minister’s statement comes in response to protesting Dr Gobinda KC, who has demanded the withdrawal of the Bill. Dr KC has been staging a hunger-strike in Jumla for the past 20 days putting forth six-point demands including reforms in medical education and health sector.

Speaking at a press meet organised at Education Ministry today, Education Minister Pokharel said “The main spirit of the Bill has not contrasted the report by the Mathema Commission. The issue is not as such as interpreted in outside. All reports will not be made laws. We cannot uphold the ordinance related to the Bill brought by erstwhile Nepali Congress-led government. We did not have consent to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government has sent a helicopter this morning to bring Dr Govinda KC to Kathmandu in a bid to save his life. Minister Pokharel said that Chief Minister and Internal Affairs Minister of Karnali Province as well as Vice-Chancellor of the Academy have been urged to help bring Dr KC to Kathmandu.

The Education Minister said that discussion on the matter could be held in line with the parliamentary process if Dr KC returns back to Kathmandu.

Saying an agenda has been set to present the Bill at today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, he said that the government has prioritised to save the life of Dr KC. He also said that coordination with other concerned ministries was underway in this regard.

Saying staging a hunger-strike and demonstration by the health sector is a bad practice, Minister Pokharel said the educational institutions should not be made a place to demonstrate. RSS