The government has decided to take back the medical education bill submitted to the parliament. The Cabinet meeting held Wednesday night has decided to take back the bill and submit it again after necessary amendments, according to government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Gokul Baskota.
Dr Govinda KC has been staging a fast-unto-death at the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences in Jumla demanding that the Medical Education Ordinance brought by the preceding Sher Bahadur Deuba government be implemented as it is.
Dr KC has accused the government of bringing the bill to replace the ordinance with an intention of providing affiliation for medical college to four hospitals owned by businessmen close to the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN).
The ordinance stops establishment of new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley for 10 years as demanded by Dr KC, limits granting of affiliation by a university to a maximum of five medical colleges, and allows affiliation to only those that have operated a hospital, taking permission from the Health Ministry, for three years.
The government had submitted the bill removing these provisions. Dr KC started a fast-unto-death in Jumla on Saturday to protest the bill.
The government was not able to table the bill after the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) warned of obstructing the House pointing that the bill to replace the ordinance was brought in a way to kill the spirit of the ordinance.
