- शुक्रबार, ७ वैशाख, २०८१
Kathmandu, 24 Jan – Chief of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH)’s orthopedics department, Prof Dr Govinda KC, has urged the Supreme Court to lend its support to the campaign of further developing the TUTH into the best medical teaching institution.
“A big achievement has been made after untiring efforts, and I urge the Chief Justice, the justices, the registrar and all employees at the Supreme Court not to allow this effort to be nipped,” Dr KC while breaking his fast-onto-death strike this morning.
Prof Dr KC had launched a hunger strike since January 11, putting forth a seven-point charter of demands before the government and the Tribhuvan University authorities for reforms in the Institute of Medicine.
Lifting his 336-hour marathon hunger strike today, he said, “My hunger strike was not against any individual per se. It was for evolving a better process. So, I will not allow it to be transient. The judiciary will also, I hope, would cooperate in this campaign.”
Among the demands put forth by Dr KC while launching the fast-onto-death are reforms in the overall health services, cancellation of the appointment of the Dean at the TU IOM, not giving affiliation to new medical colleges and appointment of the Dean on the basis of seniority.
Seven-year-old Elisa Thapa, a patient at the orthopedics department, Check Gandharva and Dr Pragya Bhandari who was involved in Dr Kc’s treatment, jointly broke Dr KC’s fast, as per his wish, by feeding him fruit juice.
Dr KC withdrew his hunger strike following written commitments of the government to address his demands. He is now admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the TUTH.
“He needs to be treated for a week as his body lacks nutrients since long time,” Prof Dr Subas Acharya, who is attending to Dr KC, said.
A seven-point agreement has been signed between Prof Dr KC, the government talks tem and Nepal Medical Association regarding breaking the hunger strike. The agreed upon topics include appointing the Dean at the IOM on seniority basis, constituting a study committee regarding upgrading the IOM into an autonomous university, not giving affiliation to the new medical colleges, increasing the number of posts at the health institutions, reforming the five per cent tax and allocating a minimum 10 per cent budget to the health sector.
The government on Thursday constituted a talks team to resolve the problems seen at TUTH through talks and dialogue. Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Krishnahari Banskota is the coordinator of the talks team and the secretaries at the Ministries of Home, Education, and Health and Population are the members of the team. The talks team had prepared the draft of the agreement today and went to the TUTH to have Dr KC break his fast.
Member of the talks team and Home Secretary Janardan Nepal said that a nine-member taskforce has been formed for turning the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine into an autonomous university.
The taskforce comprises Prof Dr Ramesh Kanta Adhikari, Prof Dr Arjun Karki, Prof Dr Jagadish Agrawal, Dr Baburam Marasini, Prof Dr Anjani Kumar Jha and Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education Mahashram Sharma, among others.
According to talks team coordinator Baskota, a process has already been initiated to appoint a new Dean at the Institute of Medicine on the basis of seniority.
TUTH doctor Kishor Khanal said now all programmes of protest have been called off and the services will resume soon. However, our efforts and pressure will continue to depoliticize the TUTH, he added.
Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has said that all programmes of protest it announced earlier expressing solidarity to KC’s move have been withdrawn.
Association Chairman Prof Dr Anjani Kumar Jha said a new ray of light has been seen for the reforms in health sector and this should be protected and promoted.
The Association has expressed regrets over inconveniences to the patients caused by the halting of medical services in course of the agitation. The Association halted the Out Patient Department (OPD) services across the country backing KC’s voices.
