Police have rounded up 17 doctors who were attempting to block the road in front of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital at Maharajgunj Friday.
Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu’s spokesperson Hobindra Bogati said the doctors were arrested as they tried to block the road holding a demonstration in support of Dr Govinda KC who is on a fast-unto-death at the hospital.
According to him, the arrested doctors have been kept at the Nepal Police Club. Among the doctors held by police are Dr Sumit Pandey, Dr Bishal Agrawal and Dr Hemanta Bastola.
The doctors, however, claimed that the police arrested them while they were organizing a peaceful rally.
Basic health services which are the right of the common people have been adversely affected at the hospital after demonstrations started to be organised at the hospital premises for and against Dr KC’s demands.
Senior orthopaedic surgeon at TUTH, Dr KC, is on his 16th hunger strike since January 10, calling for reform in the medical education sector and formulation of laws in keeping with the agreement the government had signed with him before this.
The government says that there is no rationale of Dr KC’s hunger strike as most of his demands have been addressed through the National Medical Education Bill passed by both houses of the federal parliament.
