Valley
Experts raise concerns over exorbitant fees
Experts who were involved in drafting the Health Profession Education Policy (HPEP) recommending major reforms in the medical education sector in the country have expressed their serious concern over arbitrary and exorbitant fees charged by medical schools for post-graduate (MD/MS) courses.Experts who were involved in drafting the Health Profession Education Policy (HPEP) recommending major reforms in the medical education sector in the country have expressed their serious concern over arbitrary and exorbitant fees charged by medical schools for post-graduate (MD/MS) courses.
Issuing a statement, the experts, including Kedar Bhakta Mathema, they have said are saddened by news reports that attempts were underway to thwart the efforts of the Institute of Medicine (IoM) to implement merit-based admission.
The statement has been signed by Mathema, Dr Arjun Karki, former vice chancellor (VC) of Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Dr Madan Upadhyay, former VC of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences; Dr Ramesh Kanta Adhikari, former dean of the IoM and Dr Bhagwan Koirala, former director of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
One of the major recommendations of the HPEP is to end arbitrary fess structures of medical schools, the statement reads. “Capable students will be deprived of admission in medical schools in any streams unless such arbitrary fee structures are curbed,” it adds.
The experts have also drawn the attention of the Tribhuvan University to its office bearers’ failure to set the fee structures.
The establishment of Health Profession Education Commission will help end the chaos in the medical education sector, they have said, calling on the TU office bearers to set the fee structure and implement it immediately. The TU Executive Council is yet to set the fee structure for post-graduate courses despite the IoM’s repeated calls in what many believe is due to pressure from medical college “owners” and political leaders.
Recently, despite instructions from the IoM to implement merit-based admission, some medical colleges including National Medical College, Birgunj and Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa were found to have admitted students against the IoM rules.