Doctors to stop OPD service

As health condition of Dr Govinda KC, who is on a fast-unto-death demanding implementation of past agreements reached between him and the government, continues to deteriorate, an umbrella association of Nepal's doctors has warned of a nationwide strike from Wednesday.

Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has said that doctors will not work in the OPD sections of any hospital across the country from Wednesday. The NMA Chair Anjani Kumar Jha said emergency service will continue.

The NMA says the government must address all of Dr KC's demands.

Earlier, resident doctors at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), where Dr KC has been on a hunger strike since 22 March, had halted the OPD service. MBBS students at the TUTH hospital have also boycotted their classes in solidarity with Dr KC's demands.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala called an emergency cabinet meeting to solve the crisis created by Dr KC's hunger strike and instructed a negotiation team to show utmost flexibility to address his demands. But, Dr KC's representatives say the cabinet decision is insufficient.

On behalf of the government, Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel and National Planning Commission (NPC)'s Vice Chair Govinda Pokharel are negotiating with Dr KC's representatives.

Dr KC has demanded that the IoM affiliation process be halted until the government endorses a medical health education policy that is now being drafted by a panel led by education expert Dr Kedar Bhakta Mathema. The Mathema panel was formed by the government itself when Dr KC launched his fourth fast-unto-death last year.