Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has decided to shutdown all hospital services except emergency across the country on Thursday.

The NMA has decided to shutdown medical services in all government, private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics saying that the government was indifferent to the demands put forth by Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging an indefinite hunger strike for the past 19 days in Jumla seeking reforms in medical education sector.

Likewise, the NMA has also called on all the medical personnel working inside the valley to take part in the protest programme to be organised at Maitighar Mandala  at 12pm tomorrow.

“If the government is ready to address the demands of Dr KC then we will rollback our protest programmes,” said NMA Chairman Muktiram Shrestha during a press meet organised in the Capital on Wednesday, “However, if the government does not show interest even after the one-day shutdown, then we will shutdown hospital services for an indefinite period.”

Earlier, Spokesperson at Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Baikuntha Aryal on Saturday night issued a statement warning of action against doctors if they halted health services across the country.

Senior orthopedic surgeon Dr KC presses the government to come up with a law in line with the recommendations of the task force led by Kedar Bhakta Mathema, former vice-chancellor of the Tribhuvan University. The government, however, has registered a bill in Parliament on medical education, omitting major recommendations of the Mathema panel, which Dr KC objects to.

Two rounds of talks between the government panel and representatives of Dr KC on Monday failed to find a way out as the former focussed on medical care for the agitating surgeon while refusing to discuss his demands.