Friday, February 1, 2019

Dr KC ends his 24-day-long hunger strike, slams government for policy level corruption

Senior orthopedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC has ended his 16the hunger strike on the 24th day today evening, a day after the upper house endorsed the controversial National Medical educational Bill without favouring amendments.
Organising a press meet at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Dr KC announced the end of his hunger strike by drinking juice from the hand of sanitation staffer at TU Teaching Hospital Amrit Puraji, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki and former Speaker Damannath Dhungana.
He, however, said that he would continue his protests in a different way for reforms in Medical Education Bill. Warning that he would stage the 17th hunger strike again if his demands were not fulfilled by the government, he also alsmed the Prime Minister KP Oli for betraying not only the Mathema report and medical students but the entire 30 million Nepali citizens.
Saying that he would not accept the bill that was forcefully endorsed by the Parliament the surgeon expressed that he would continue his struggle against the policy-level corruption that has gripped the medical education sector. "I will fight until I initiate reform in the medical education sector,” he said prior to being transferred to TUTH Intensive Care Unit for further treatment.
Earlier today, former President Ram Baran Yadav, former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana and Former TU Vice-Chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema reached TUTH to urge Dr KC to end his hunger strike.
Yesterday, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Gagan Thapa visited Dr KC at the hospital. They urged him to end his hunger strike saying that the incumbent government is 'merciless and irresponsbile'.
Earlier, Ministry of Health and Population warned to jail doctors, who shut down all health services supporting the agitating surgeon.
Though Dr KC had been staging the hunger strike demanding that the National Medical Education Bill be endorsed in the Parliament as per the agreement signed with him in the 15th hunger strike by the incumbent Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, the government turned its blind eye to his hunger strike and tabled the bill. The bill has already been endorsed from the federal House of Representatives and National Assembly by a majority.
Dr KC begun his 16th hunger strike in Ilam from January 9 after the government failed to endorse the Medical Education Bill in line with the agreement signed with him earlier. Later, he was brought to Kathmandu after his health deteriorated.

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