Six days after Dr Govinda KC launched his hunger strike, the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital on Friday formed a six member team led by Dr Pradeep Krishna Shrestha, head of the Department of Internal Medicine, to monitor the health condition of the protesting doctor.

The team includes Dr Dibya Singh, Dr Subash Acharya, Dr Diptesh Aryal, Dr Rabin Nepali and nursing supervisor Sobhana Bhuju.

A health bulletin released on the day said Dr KC’s health is “slowly going down”. The bulletin reads that Dr KC has started complaining of muscle cramps and headache and also chest pain. “His blood sugar and sodium are on the lower side,” the statement reads.

The office bearers of the TU Institute of Medicine met Dr KC to enquire about his health condition. This is the first time that hospital director Dr Deepak Mahara and IoM Dean Dr Bimal Sinha visited the fasting doctor.

The TUTH had, on Thursday, sought permission from the District Administration Office to allow them to provide healthcare for Dr KC. The DAO had earlier asked the TUTH to not provide any kind of support to Dr KC or “get involved in his protest”.

Many supporters of Dr KC believe that the DAO opposition to his protest is due to pressure from the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. One of the four demands of Dr KC is impeachment of CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki and Commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak for interference in the country’s medical education.

“The administration is active against our protest because of its fear of the CIAA,” Dr KC told the Post. “I won’t end my fast until my demands are met.”

Dr KC has been staging his eighth hunger strike since July 10 demanding reforms in medical education and an end to political meddling in universities.