Dr Govinda KC, who is into the 12th day of the hunger strike, has requested him be shifted to his usual place for hunger strike at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Dr KC, who started the fast in Ilam on January 9, was airlifted to Kathmandu on a Nepal Army helicopter early Friday morning and admitted at the ICU of TUTH after his health deteriorated.
His health has improved since but doctors fear that he may again be infected if shifted to the room where he has staged his past hunger strikes and are planning to shift him to the general ward instead.
TUTH Director Dr Prem Krishna Khadka said Dr KC's health has improved in comparison to Saturday and a team led by critical care specialist at the hospital Dr Subash Acharya is looking after him. "His health is improving as per the latest reports," Dr Khadka said.
Dr KC was airlifted to Kathmandu after doctors, who reached Ilam on Wednesday and conducted tests and checkup on Dr KC, said Ilam Hospital does not have necessary infrastructure and facilities if his health suddenly deteriorates further and urged that he be shifted to a hospital with better facilities and infrastructure.
Dr KC was shifted to Ilam Hospital last Monday after starting his fast at the vacant building of the Urban Development Project on January 9. Dr KC had suffered from chest pain, cough and other problems from the second day itself, and was shifted to the hospital after his heartbeats became irregular from Sunday.
Dr KC has demanded that the agreement the government signed with him before ending his 15th fast-unto death on July 26, 2018 be implemented to the letter.
The Medical Education Bill, passed by the
Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on the basis of majority despite opposition of four NC lawmakers, mainly violated three agreements signed with Dr KC.
The provision prohibiting a university from giving affiliation to more than five medical colleges has been weakened in the bill adding that those outside the Kathmandu Valley that have acquired letter of intent (LOI) can be given affiliation by the Tribhuvan University and the Kathmandu University.
B&C Hospital in Birtamode, Jhapa has acquired LOI from the Kathmandu University, that has already provided affiliation to at least five medical colleges, to operate a medical college.
The bill endorsed on Wednesday will pave the way for immediate affiliation to B&C. The agreement mentioned medical colleges to be opened outside Kathmandu Valley will have to comply with the policies to be formulated by the Medical Education Commission meaning B&C would have to wait for formation of the commission, and formulation of policies by the commission to get affiliation.
The second is formation of the all-powerful commission for regulation of medical education and to formulate policies about the sector. Dr KC suspects that the bill passed on Wednesday mentioned Medical Education University to undermine the commission.
The third is the issue of Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) that the government had agreed to phase out within five years as the Health Ministry has already announced it will not recruit human resources with qualification of just certificate level. But the bill passed Wednesday states that the CTEVT will continue until the government so wishes.
