Kathmandu, January 19
Medical education reforms activist Dr Govinda KC, who started his 16th hunger strike last week, was brought to Kathmandu on early Friday morning after his health condition deteriorated.
He was airlifted to Kathmandu by a Nepali Army’s chopper at 3 am and is being kept at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH). KC was ferried to Bhadrapur Army camp in Jhapa on an ambulance as the helicopter couldn’t land in Illam. He was then flown to Kathmandu.
He was brought to Kathmandu after doctors warned on Thursday that it would be risky to keep him in Ilam, where intensive care equipment is not available. Doctors say that his heartbeat was irregular and his oxygen saturation level was below 80.
Doctors attending to KC have also informed that the level of glucose in his body had fallen by one-third and ketone was detected in his urine. KC, in the past few days, has been experiencing difficulty in breathing while his blood pressure levels have also been fluctuating. KC, who started his strike last Wednesday, was also suffering from chest pain.
Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, former TU Vice-chancellor Kedar B Mathema and senior advocate Surendra Bhandari visited Dr KC on Thursday. After the government failed to take care of KC, they took the initiative to bring him to Kathmandu.
KC started his sixteenth fast-unto-death on January 9 in Ilam, demanding that the Medical Education Bill be passed as per the latest agreement between him and the government.
KC, despite frail health, will carry on his hunger strike at the Hospital.
