Protesting Dr KC in critical health; Sit-in in support of Dr KC; PM directs ministers to address Dr KC’s demands

Kathmandu / Dec 1: Health of Prof Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging fast-unto-death for the past 19 days at TU Teaching Hospital at Maharajgun in the Capital, has been deteriorating. He has been staging the fast demanding reforms in the medical education and health sector.

This is the tenth round of hunger strike waged by the senior orthopaedic surgeon at the TU Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj who aims to drive change against aberrations and anomalies prevailing in the medical education and health sector in the country.

As the strike has been prolonged in lack of consensus between Dr KC and government team in connection to the resignation of the IoM Dean Dr KP Singh and Vice-Chancellor of TU Tirtha Khaniya, health condition of this 59-year-old surgeon is growing from bad to worse.

“Since Dr KC is in declining health, chances are that he may suffer heart-related complexities, shared Dr Leision Maharjan, one of the members of the talk team on the behalf of Dr KC.

Dr Maharjan further shared that Dr KC has developed a sore throat and the amount of oxygen and white blood cell has fallen notably lately.” His palpitation could rise and fall anytime,” he added.

Dr KC’s talk team, although, had held talks with the government team for more than four times during this stint of hunger strike, every talk ended inconclusively, informed Dr Maharjan, reaffirming their team’s stance not to sit for the talks until the IoM Dean and TU’s Vice-Chancellor render their respective resignation.

Several medical organizations such as Nepal Medical Association and National Resident Doctors Associations have been halting all the OPD services in the Teaching Hospital in support of Dr KC’s crusade.

Meanwhile, A one-hour sit-in was organised at the Koshi Zonal Hospital here on Thursday in support of the agitating Dr Govinda KC. Dr KC has been staging a hunger strike in Kathmandu demanding reforms in the medical education and health sector.

More than 100 people including doctors, health workers, professional and the general public took part in the sit-in held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The sit-in was organised at the initiative of Nepal Medical Association, Koshi zonal branch, government teachers association and the Koshi development employees union, among others.

The agitators called for addressing the demands of Dr KC and thereby also save his life, according to senior doctor at the hospital Dr Yagya Raj Kharel.

In another development, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has directed the Minister for Education and the Minister for Health to address the demands of Doctor Govinda KC, who is on a fast-onto-death for the past 19 days, putting forth various demands.

The PM summoned Education Minister Dhaniram Poudel and Health Minister Gagan Thapa to his official residence, Baluwatar and instructed them to address Dr KC’s demands.

Health of Dr KC, who is on his 10th hunger strike, seeking reforms in the medical sector, has deteriorated, prompting the PM to show concern towards him. RSS