A Cabinet meeting on Sunday decided to take ownership of the agreements reached between the government and Dr Govinda KC and start process immediately to form various committees in order to address his demands.

The meeting also decided that no new affiliation would be granted to new institutions until the Health Profession Education Bill is endorsed by Parliament.

“We have taken ownership of the agreements reached with Dr Govinda KC. One of the points of the agreement states that no new affiliation or extended programme will be granted to medical schools until the bill is passed,” said Minister for Health Gagan Thapa. “Hence no process to grant affiliation to medical institutions will move forward,” he said.

The decision means the process to grant affiliation to the Jhapa-based B&C Medical College Teaching Hospital and Research Centre has been aborted. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself was said to have been involved in creating pressure to grant affiliation to the medical school.

The Cabinet meeting on Sunday also directed its social committee to develop a work plan to address Dr KC’s demands.

“The government is committed to working in line with the agreements,” said Health Minister Gagan Thapa.

Dr KC ended his 10th fast-unto-death on December 4 after 22 days following a 12-point agreement with the government.

The government had assured Dr KC that no new affiliations would be granted to medical colleges until the Health Profession Education Bill is passed by Parliament. It was also agreed that a high-level committee led by the chairman of University Grants Commission would be formed to suggest the chancellor of Tribhuvan University on amendment of laws so that vice-chancellor can be appointed by the TU Senate. Prime minister is the chancellor of TU. The agreement also calls for forming yet another high-level committee to monitor the implementation status of previous agreements reached with Dr KC.

Sunday’s Cabinet decision follows Dr KC’s request on Saturday to the government to take ownership of the agreements and be accountable to people.

Experts press for endorsement of bill

KATHMANDU: A team of experts who had played an instrumental role in the drafting of the Health Profession Education Policy (HPEP) have demanded that the government should refrain from granting affiliations to new medical schools. Issuing a statement on Sunday, they have said that affiliations to new medical schools should not be granted at a time when an agreement has been reached to halt the affiliation process until the Health Profession Education Bill (HPEB) endorsed by Parliament. “We demand that the government immediately stop the affiliation process and expedite work to endorse the bill,” the statement reads. The statement has been signed by Kedar Bhakta Mathema, former vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University; Dr Arjun Karki, former VC of Patan Academy of Health Sciences; Dr Madan Upadhyay, former VC of

BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences; Dr Ramesh Kanta Adhikari, former dean of the Institute of Medicine and Dr Bhagwan Koirala, former executive director of TU Teaching Hospital. (PR)