Dr Govinda KC, who is into the 17th day of his 16th fast-unto death for reform in medical education, has demanded Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli should resign on moral grounds.
"A situation has been created wherein Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli should resign on the basis of morality as he has deviated from his own past decisions and the moral obligations to implement the agreement he got signed," Dr KC said issuing a statement after the Medical Education Bill was passed by the House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday.
Dr KC has again touched the issue of health of PM Oli in the statement. "It is unfortunate that the country is paying the price as the PM's decision-making capacity has been compromised due to his health and the medicines he is taking," the statement adds.
PM Oli has had a kidney transplant more than a decade ago and takes different immuno-suppressants including steroids to ensure that the foreign kidney is not attacked by his own immune system. Dr KC had also raised the issue before starting the latest hunger strike in Ilam.
Dr KC is demanding that the agreement the government signed with him before ending his 15th 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.
