The government said the Medical Education Bill will be endorsed according to the parliamentary process. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota, during a press conference organised to make public the Cabinet decisions on Thursday, said the Bill will be endorsed as it has already been sent to the Parliament.
Saying that rigorous discussions have been held over the Bill, Minister Banskota said the sub-committee formed by the Education and Health Committee of the Legislature Parliament to hold discussion on the Bill has also endorsed the proposed legislation.
“Now, this is the issue of Parliament and falls under the jurisdiction of Parliament. There is no possibility of withdrawing the Bill,” said, Banskota, who is also the government spokesperson.
He ruled out the possibility of withdrawing the Bill, saying it was the first issue that was discussed and deliberated most extensively in Nepal’s history.
“The Bill has been discussed over and over again. Many have appealed, and wrote letters regarding the Bill. But no one has focused on its content,” he said.
Minister Banskota noted that the Bill has a provision that requires a hospital to be operated for three years, and should have 300 beds to open a new medical college. “The affiliation will be scrapped if the hospital fails to meet the criteria,” Minister Banskota said.
“What does it mean to be people-oriented and student-oriented?” Minister Banskota questioned Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging an indefinite hunger strike since January 9. This is the 16th hunger strike of Dr KC seeking reforms in the country’s medical education and health care system.
He said that there is a provision for 10 percent scholarship if a domestic investor opened a medical college and 20 percent scholarship if a medical college is opened by a joint investment of Nepali and foreigner. “Rumours have been making rounds that the contents of the Bill have not been discussed,” he said.
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