It’s eighth time Dr KC begins hunger strike demanding medical reforms

Kalpana Poudel (Kathmandu) / July 10: Professor Dr Govinda KC has sat for a fast-onto-death for the eighth time from Sunday, demanding reforms in the medical sector.

Dr KC began his hunger strike from 16:45 pm, stating that the government has, despite the agreements, failed to address his demands.

Speaking to press prior to sitting for a hunger strike at Ganeshman ENT building within Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Maharajgunj, expressed his concerns over the ‘promotion’ of vice and ‘discouragement’ of virtue in the sector of medical education and health.

An impeachment against Chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lokman Singh is one of the demands of Dr KC.

Before sitting for the eighth fast-onto-death, the orthopedic surgeon had given the government an ultimatum of two weeks to address his four-point demands. Though Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli summoned him for talks, he denied to present himself in the meeting stating that the government did not seem serious towards his demand and sent his representatives.

In the meeting, the PM assured to address the demands of Dr KC and urged him not to sit on a fast-onto-death.

No affiliation to any medical, dental and nursing colleges in the Kathmandu Valley for the next ten years, denying permission to those colleges which have already received a letter of intent, establishment of at least one government medical college in all proposed provinces, and enforcement of past agreements are among the demands put forth by Dr KC.

Meanwhile, a group of people staged demonstrations against KC’s move on the premises of TUTH. Patients should never be deprived of medical facilities on any pretext, they chanted. Security force was mobilised at the scene to control any untoward incident. RSS