A senior Tribhuvan University (TU) authority on Thursday said that the process to grant the Institute of Medicine (IoM) affiliations to new medical colleges will not be halted under pressure from hunger strike being staged by Dr Govinda KC.
"We will not halt the IoM affiliation process just because someone is on a hunger strike," said the TU rector Guna Nidhi Sharma.
At a press conference in Kathmandu, Sharma also informed that the IoM affiliation process was initiated as per instructions from Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav. Prime Minister and Education Minister are Chancellor and Pro Chancellor of the TU.
"It does not make sense not to grant the IoM affiliations to new medical colleges that meet certain standards and have required infrastructures," he said.
Dr KC, admired by many for his exemplary selflessness, has been on a fast-unto-death putting pressure on the government to halt the IoM affiliation process. His hunger strike reached the fifth day on Thursday.
Dr KC argues that new medical colleges should be granted the IoM affiliations only after passing a new medical education policy. Last year when he staged his fourth fast-unto-death, Prime Minister Koirala had formed a panel led by education expert Kedar Bhakta Mathema to prepare a medical education policy. The Mathema panel is expected to recommend minimum criteria required by new medical colleges to get the IoM affiliations.
However, the TU issued a notice asking proposed medical colleges to apply for the IoM affiliations, not waiting for the Mathema panel to complete its task.
Dr KC says allowing new medical colleges without obliging them to have adequate infrastructures will put people's health under risk. He says he will not end his hunger strike unless the government addresses his 10-point demand, which includes granting the IoM affiliations only after passing a medical education policy.
Expressing solidarity with Dr KC's hunger strike, MBBS students at the TU teaching hospital have boycotted their classes. The TUTH resident doctors have also supported the demand raised by Dr KC.