(All photos: Keshav Thapa)

Supporters of Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging hunger strike at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, have started relay hunger strike at Maitighar Mandala in the Capital from Saturday.

They started relay hunger strike after taking part in a demonstration organised by the Solidarity for Dr KC Alliance in support of Dr KC  this morning.

Saroj Khanal, Bidhan Acharya, Nawang Bastakoti, Yagya Dhakal and Bikram KC among 18 others started relay hunger strike to pile pressure on the government to address the demands of Dr KC at the earliest.

Earlier on Friday, the government team and representatives of agitating Dr KC held a meeting that lasted for three hours at the Ministry of Education in Singadurbar, but ended without making concrete decision.

The government on Thursday had formed a talks team under the headship of Education Secretary Shanta Bahadur Shrestha to address the demands of Dr KC— four days after the orthopaedic surgeon started his 11th hunger strike. 

Endorsement of the Health Profession Education Bill is the key demand of Dr KC.

He has also been demanding mandatory enrolment of meritorious students in private medical colleges which have been admitting students with poor results, charging exorbitant amount of money from them.

He has also demanded that the Institute of Medicine be given the authority to enrol students, set fees and grant affiliation and de-affiliate medical colleges that fail to abide by the directives issued by the government and the court.