KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (PM Oli) has directed the Medical Education Commission not to increase the fee of medical education. The Commission was however proposed the increase on fee by the fee determination taskforce.
In the Commission meeting on Friday, PM Oli directed the officials to decrease the fee. The Commission had proposed the increase of existing fee for MBBS programme by Rs 800 thousand.
The recommendation taskforce had forwarded recommendation on most of the subjects out of 17- BDS, MDMS, MDS Science, MD Ayurved, MN, MSC Nursing, M Pharma, MSc Medical Microbiology, MSc Basic Science, MPhil Clinical Psychology.
Now, the meeting formed a seven-member taskforce under the coordination of Minister for Education, Science and Technology Krishna Gopal Shrestha to decide on the fee on the proposed medical subjects.
The taskforce has the members as Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi, Education Secretary Gopinath Mainali, Health Secretary Laxman Aryal, Member (Education) of National Planning Commission Dr Usha Jha, Vice-Chairman of Medical Education Commission Dr Krishna Giri and its Member Secretary Dilliram Luitel.
It was surprising to recommend the increase of fees for medical education. The parents and education lobbyist have been consistently demanding to lower the medical education fees because they complain the existing fees a much higher.
Dr Govinda KC has several times requested government to lower the fees and demanded to make medical education available to bonafide and talented students in a scholarship basis. He has carried out nearly 20 times fast-unto-death to pressure government and its agencies to change the current system of medical education in the country.
In present, each student of MBBS program have to pay nearly NRs 35 lakh for five years. However, their parents have to incur other costs in different names. Likewise, Dr KC have been advocating for more competition while selecting the medical students.
In recent times, a number of medical colleges have been emerging. Dr KC has also questioned about the quality of these mushrooming colleges, where the University cannot supervise and observe the entire faculty, human resources and other facilities. These concerns have also made the education system a challenging one.
In such a situation, the recommendation to hike fees looks unfortunate.
