Kathmandu, July 25
A senior Nepali doctor who had been on hunger strike for the last two weeks demanding that the government regulate the medical education sector, has reached an agreement with the government to end his protest.
Dr Govinda KC signed an agreement late night on Sunday to end his 15-day-long fast. Dr KC is expected to formally end his hunger strike on Monday.
The agreement, under which the government-run Bir Hospital will ‘buy’ out the privately-owned Manamohan Hospital, was reached following marathon negotiations between government representatives and KC’s aides.
Manamohan Hospital, which is now being run by a cooperative of UML leaders, will now operate under Bir. The hospital had been courting controversy since its establishment as doctor KC alleged that it promotes excessive commercialisation of medical education.
What about Lokman?
Dr KC had also been demanding that the chief of Nepal’s anti-corruption watchdog Lokman Singh Karki be impeached by Parliament for nurturing the ‘medical mafia’. The agreement, however, says as the issue is under the ambit of Parliament, it will be dealt with by the legislature.
Following Dr KC’s strike, three MPs, including the Nepali Congress’ Gagan Thapa had registered a proposal of public importance in Parliament to discuss allegations levelled against Karki.
