The sub-committee of the Education and Health Committee of the Parliament formed to discuss the Medical Education Bill will sit for another round of discussion with Dr Govinda KC.

Members of the sub-committee said the discussion was planned as the inclusion of some of the agreements between Dr KC and government in the bill would raise some legal complications. Members Khagaraj Adhikari, Gagan Thapa and Yogesh Bhattarai will hold discussions with Dr KC on the issue.

The agreement between Dr KC and the government has a provision that allows Medical Education Commission, the authority to grant affiliations to nursing colleges, instead of executive panel of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) led by the education minister. The agreement also includes imposing a 10-year moratorium on new medical colleges in Kathmandu valley and barring a university from granting affiliation to more than five medical colleges. Lawmakers argue these three agreements would raise legal complications in the future.

They say imposing the moratorium on new medical colleges would hinder opening of medical colleges outside the valley. Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University have also given affiliation to over five medical colleges. Lawmaker and sub-committee member Adhikari said it would take at least another 10 years to establish a new university and grant affiliation to medical colleges. “We are committed to include the agreements reached with KC in the bill. We are meeting KC to prevent any complications in the future,” he said.

Anti-corruption crusader Dr KC had threatened to go on his 16th hunger strike if the government failed to endorse the much-delayed Medical Education Bill by December 17. He postponed his planned hunger strike after the parliamentary committee assured to endorse the bill at the earliest.