The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has drawn the government's attention to make the state of implementation of agreements signed with Dr Govinda KC public and reminded it to be sensitive about saving his life.
"The commission's attention ahs been drawn to the state of health of Dr KC who started the fast-unto-death at Babira Mast temple in Chandannath municipality 6 of Jumla on September 14 demanding implementation of his past agreements with the government," the NHRC has said issuing a statement on Friday.
It has stated that it has been closely monitoring the hunger strike through its Karnali provincial branch office Jumla while he was in Jumla and Bagmati provincial office while in Kathmandu. "We understand in course of monitoring that his health is stable, concentration of potassium, magnesium and glucose in his body is gradually getting low, and he is in high risk of infection as his immune system is weak due to repeated fasts," the statement adds.
It has urged the government to show sensitivity toward basic human rights like health and become serious to the repeated past agreements the government signed.
Dr KC is currently at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) after the government transferred him there Tuesday evening after widespread condemnation of taking him to the National Trauma Center using police force earlier on the day.
The police had earlier used force to take the fasting doctor to the Trauma Center. The blatant use of force against the retired doctor was widely condemned by the general public and opposition leaders in the social media.
The TUTH, where Dr KC worked until retirement, had sent an ambulance to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to take hims to the hospital in Maharajgunj.
He has been brought to Kathmandu after he refused treatment at the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences where he was forcibly taken to by the administration late Saturday night. He was taken to Nepalgunj from Jumla on Monday and brought to Kathmandu on an airplane on Tuesday.
Driver of the TUTH ambulance Mithram Thapa told Setopati that the police barged into the ambulance after Dr KC boarded it and forced him to drive to the Trauma Center instead. "The police forcibly dragged Dr KC out of the ambulance after reaching the Trauma Center," Thapa stated. "Dr KC was refusing saying he worked at the TUTH and will go there. But they lifted him from where he was sitting."
The health of DR KC, who started his 19th fast-unto-death in Jumla on September 14 with a six-point demand including immediate start of MBBS program in the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences completing necessary infrastructure and human resources, is gradually deteriorating and he is getting weaker.
Dr KC, who was in Jumla before the start of nationwide lockdown in March providing free treatment to patients in the remote district in Karnali, had started the fast at Babira Mast temple in Singhachaur near Jumla Bazar demanding immediate start of MBBS program in the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences.
The other demands include start of classes in Geta Medical College and Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, and start of process to start government medical colleges in Province 2, Gandaki province, Doti or Dadeldhura, Udayapur, and Ilam or Panchthar.
He has also demanded correction of appointments made at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) under the Tribhuvan University violating seniority, and legislation to ensure fair and transparent appointment at universities, councils, academies and other bodies as per the recommendation of the committee to set standards for such appointments.
He has demanded regular budget for Bayalpata Hospital to ensure sustainable free service, and investigation and action in corruption cases including Rajya Laxmi Golchha corruption scam, procurement of land for the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), procurement of wide-body planes, security printing press, land in Baluwatar and Durbar Marga, and procurement of medical supplies by Omni Group among others.
He has also called for making use of face mask and social distancing mandatory, and expansion of PCR testing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and gradually stop lockdown and prohibitory orders.
