The Health Ministry has warned the doctors, who are protesting in support of Dr Govinda KC, of action if they do not take the protest programs back.
The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has stopped all health services apart from emergency service across the country demanding that the agreement signed with Dr KC be implemented.
The ministry issuing a press statement on Friday has warned the agitating doctors of action as per the Essential Services Operation Act if the protest programs are not taken back. The ministry has said it is serious about not allowing obstruction in delivery of services that are directly related to the public stake and human life.
"The ministry again appeals to operate service in health institutions as usual by taking all the protest programs back. This notice is published to inform all those concerned that the ministry will be forced to initiate action as per the Essential Services Operation Act 1957," the notice reads.
The act has provision of a jail term of six months for those calling a strike in the institutions that provide essential services.
The NMA issuing a notice on Thursday announced stopping all kinds of services except emergency service across the country from Friday. It slammed the government for not taking interest to save the life of Dr KC.
Dr Govinda KC is into the 24th day of his 16th fast-unto death 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 both the federal Houses, 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 passed by the Houses 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.
