Kathmandu: The government has urged agitating Dr Govinda KC to break the fast.
Issuing a press statement today, Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and coordinator of government talks team Gopi Nath Mainali has called KC to break the fast stating the country was reeling under crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Saying that the government was sensitive towards the demands of Dr KC, Mainali mentioned that government was committed to expansion of quality medical education and accessible health care service delivery.
The government has started to establish colleges for providing medical education.
According to Mainali, development of college buildings and hospital building of Geta Medical College was completed and construction of other infrastructures is in the final stage.
Similarly, Karnali Academy of Health Sciences is also preparing for the beginning of MBBS programme.
Furthermore, land acquisition and master plans were approved and the approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was in the final stage for developing medical colleges at Bardibas, Butwal and Surkhet.
He recalled that the master’s level programme has already started in Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences while the master plan for MBBS programme in Rapti Academy of Health Sciences was passed from the Academy’s assembly.
In the statement, Mainali has said that reports of the pre-feasibility study for opening government medical colleges in Doti, Dadeldhura, Udayapur, Ilam and Panchthar were received.
Regarding the Ramraja Prasad Singh Academy of Health Sciences in Saptari, an infrastructure development committee has been formed.
Reports have been received from the Office-bearers’ Standard Determination Committee and the related task force and they are in the process of implementation.
The Medical Education Commission has constituted a task force and the task force has started its works regarding amendment to the National Medical Education Act, 2075.
In the press release, he stated that the National Medical Education Act, 2075 and the National Medical Education Regulations, 2077 were being issued for regulating the medical education.
The Medical Education Commission has been formed accordingly while provisions of regulation as integrated entrance examination, seat determination, integrated academic session, Quality Accreditation Board, the National Medical Specialities Board, and 75 per cent scholarship in government educational institutions, among others have been implemented.
Similarly, he has stated that the government and the bodies under it have been allocating budget in the form of their regular annual programmes for running academic programmes of various level and subjects under the medical education at the government medical colleges and institutes.
Although the government talks team held talks with Dr KC’s side two times, Thursday and Friday, an agreement has not been reached till date.
Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has decided to obstruct hospital services except COVID-19 and Emergency cases from tomorrow to pressurise the government to ink agreement with Dr KC.
