Dr. Govinda KC ended his hunger strike in Dhangadhi after reaching a 7-point agreement with the government.
Senior physician Dr. Govinda KC, who had been on a hunger strike since Saun 7 in Dhangadhi, ended his protest on Monday evening following a 7-point agreement with the government. His health was deteriorating during the fast, and he was receiving treatment at Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi.
Key Demands and Resolutions
Dr. KC had begun his hunger strike with several demands, including the cancellation of illegal appointments at Shahid Dashrath Chand Health Science University in Getta. He argued these appointments created a conflict of interest, which was a core issue addressed in the agreement.
Expanding Health Facilities
As per the agreement, the process to immediately operate a teaching hospital with at least 300 beds will begin at Shahid Dashrath Chand Health Science University in Kailali. This step also include the recruitment of necessary manpower and managing the teaching hospital to start academic programs like MBBS.
Reforming University Governance
Both sides agreed that a proposal to amend the law concerning the qualifications and appointment of university officials will be submitted to the government. The aim is to advance this amendment through the current session of the Federal Parliament within three months.
Improvements in Medical Education
The agreement states that seat allocation in medical education will follow the standards set by the Medical Education Commission. There will be no increase in seats for private teaching institutions. Furthermore, a high-level task force will be formed to study ways to gradually transform teaching institutions into non-profit and service-oriented organizations.
Broader Reforms and Accountability
Other points of the agreement include developing infrastructure to reduce dependency in border areas, especially in Sudurpaschim Province. It also call for action against those responsible for incidents that occurred in Bhadra 2082. Additionally, both parties agreed to speed up investigations into corruption cases dating back to 2046 B.S.
Monitoring and Implementation
To ensure the agreement is properly followed, a task force led by the Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers office will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of these and past agreements.
The agreement document was signed by Dr. Govinda KC, Education Secretary Chudamani Paudel, Health Secretary Dr. Bikash Devkota, and Joint Secretary Chandrakant Bhusal. Member of Parliament Pukar Bam and Prime Minister’s Health Advisor Prof. Dr. Jagadish Prasad Agarwal were present as witnesses during the signing.
AI Disclaimer: This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. It has been translated with the help of AI. For the best understanding and accurate facts, we recommend reading the original Nepali version.
