Kathmandu, July 27: Medical education reform campaigner Dr Govinda KC has ended his five-day hunger strike in Dhangadhi after reaching a seven-point agreement with the government, bringing an end to his latest protest over delays in implementing long promised reforms.
Dr KC called off the fast on Sunday evening after negotiations with a government team concluded successfully. The agreement was signed in the presence of House of Representatives member Pukar Bam and Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s health advisor, Prof Dr Jagadish Prasad Agrawal.
Representing the government at the signing were Chudamani Paudel, Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Bikas Devkota, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population, and Chakrakanta Bhusal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education.
Under the agreement, the government has pledged to fully operationalise Shahid Dasharath Chand Health Sciences University and move ahead with reforms in the medical education sector. It has also committed to running a teaching hospital with at least 300 beds under the university, a long-standing demand aimed at improving access to medical education and healthcare services in Sudurpaschim Province.
Dr KC, an orthopaedic surgeon and one of Nepal’s most prominent medical education reform advocates, has staged dozens of hunger strikes over the past decade. His protests have focused on improving the quality of medical education, expanding access to healthcare outside Kathmandu, curbing political interference in the sector, and ensuring previous agreements are implemented.
His latest fast began after he accused the government of failing to honour earlier commitments, particularly those related to strengthening health institutions in remote regions and advancing reforms envisioned in the National Medical Education Act.
Successive governments have repeatedly reached agreements with Dr KC, but many of the commitments have remained only partially implemented. His hunger strikes have often forced authorities back to the negotiating table, making him one of the country’s most influential voices for reform in public health and medical education.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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