Dr Rakesh Shriwastav, dean of Institute of Medicine (IoM), has directed Dr Govinda KC, orthopaedics professor at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), not to stage protest on the hospital premises.

Dr KC is staging a fast-unto-death protest inside the hospital compound, putting forth various demands concerning reforms in medicine studies.

Dr Shriwastav sent a letter to Dr KC and warned him that his protest could affect the academic programmes of IoM as well as the operation of TUTH, BP Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies, and Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre.

Dr Shriwastav has told Dr KC that any inconveniences suffered by patients or disruption of services will be his responsibility.

Meanwhile, Dr KC has announced that he will not stop his protest at any cost.

“My protest is to ensure that good doctors are produced in the market.

And I am sure people will be by my side,” he said.

A source at TUTH said that Dr Shriwastav is trying to persuade Dr KC into calling off his hunger strike in order to woo Prime Minister Sushil Koirala after the IoM faculty board declined the government’s instruction to grant affiliation to new medical colleges.

“Dr Shriwastav was appointed the dean because of Dr KC. Now, amid piling pressure from the government side to grant affiliation, Dr Shriwastav is trying to show that he is against Dr KC,” the source said.  

This is the fifth time Dr KC is staging fast-unto-death after the government did not take any steps to address the demands that he has been making.

Dr KC has demanded the government to  take action against officials trying to relocate the MBBS programme to Kirtipur, implementation of the reports submitted in February 2014 by two expert panels formed to study the necessity of medical university in the country, drafting the medical education standards, and preparing medical college affiliation frameworks, among others.

source:the kathmandu post,24 March 2015