Pic: Gopen RaiDr Govinda KC's tenth hunger strike reached its tenth day on Tuesday, but the government is yet to respond to his demands.
Dr KC's health condition is deteriorating, and the solidarity for Dr KC alliance on Tuesday warned of protests to put pressure on the government to address his demands.
The Alliance has decided to picket the office of the Vice Chancellor of the Tribhuvan University on Wednesday. "If picketing does not yield positive results, there will be more intense protests," said a statement issued by the Alliance.
Dr KC, an orthopedic surgeon at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, has repeatedly been on hunger strikes demanding reforms in the medical education sector. It was he who first demanded impeachment of the CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki, saying the head of the corruption watchdog was himself involved in corruption.
This time, Dr KC has demanded that the seniormost professor be appointed as the Dean of the Institute of Medicine (IoM). Just when he was about to go on his tenth hunger strike, the TU appointed Dr KP Singh as the IoM Dean.
Dr Singh is an old friend of Dr KC, who had always stood by the crusading physician till the ninth hunger strike. Dr KC says he launched his tenth hunger strike despite the appointment of his friend as the IoM Dean because Dr Singh was not the seniormost professor.