National
Govt offers to buy Manmohan College
The ruling Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) on Sunday proposed purchasing the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences after fasting surgeon Dr Govinda KC remained firm on his demand for barring the establishment of new medical schools in Kathmandu Valley for the next 10 years.Manish Gautam
The ruling Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) on Sunday proposed purchasing the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences after fasting surgeon Dr Govinda KC remained firm on his demand for barring the establishment of new medical schools in Kathmandu Valley for the next 10 years.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told CPN-UML lawmakers about the government’s readiness to purchase the property of MMIHS.
“Both the leaders approached UML lawmaker Rajendra Pandey to buy the property of Manmohan. However, Pandey said that since they have already built the entire infrastructure required for a medical school, they will not sell it to the government,” said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who has been liaising between the two sides.
It is learnt that PM Deuba had invited UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Pandey to discuss a possible deal on the MMIHS. However, Oli told the PM on the phone that the issue should be discussed with the concerned MMIHS officials.
The MMIHS is run by the Nepal Health Care Cooperative Limited where a majority of the 2,434 members are UML members.
Shrestha said that he met Dr KC following the meeting but the crusader refused to end his fast without the issue of medical college affiliations within Kathmandu being resolved.
Although Dr KC was expected to break his fast after the parliamentary Committee on Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare made major changes in the Health Profession Education (HPE) Bill, he said he would not accept anything less than the guarantee of decentralising medical education and basic healthcare services.
According to an amendment to Clause 13 of the bill, the decision to grant medical affiliations will be taken by the Health Profession Education Commission (HPEC).
After revision, the House committee had sent the HPE Bill for endorsement. Dr KC told the Post that vague provisions would only allow for more medical schools. “I’m not going to end the fast until the government guarantees that no new medical colleges are established inside Kathmandu Valley for a decade,” said Dr KC.
During the eighth hunger strike of Dr Govinda KC, the Oli-led government had agreed to acquire the MMIHS. It was then agreed that the government-run National Academy of Medical Sciences would purchase its property.
Multiple meetings were held and the MMIHS shareholders had also agreed to sell the property.
It was decided that the NAMS would be renamed ‘Manmohan NAMS’. However, the promoters later said they would not sell the facility, rendering the efforts futile.