Doctors at BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences on Tuesday began an eight-hour relay hunger strike to express solidarity with Dr Govinda KC.  

Dr KC has been staging an indefinite hunger strike for the past 23 days seeking reforms in country’s medical education sector. This is the longest hunger strike of Dr KC with no breakthrough in the talks.

Senior and junior resident doctors, undergraduate students and interns have been taking part in the relay hunger strike organised as part of the campaign to save Dr KC. JRWS President Dr DB Chhetri said they will continue the relay hunger strike until the demands of Dr KC are met.

“Dr KC is not staging such a long hunger strike for his personal interests. We decided to support Dr KC as he has been staging a hunger strike for the benefit of entire Nepali people and with the aim of bringing reforms in country’s medical education sector,” said Dr Chhetri.

Dr Nabin Bhatta, who is also staging the hunger strike, said that the fee of MD and MS level should be fixed at Rs 22, 00,000, just like in Kathmandu University, to be effective from this fiscal year. “The government should decide the fee structure of medical education until the formation of Medical Education Commission,” he added. 

The agitating doctors said the affiliation of medical colleges flouting the court order and government directives should be scrapped and the medical colleges should be opened so as to facilitate treatment of the patients from remote areas.