Faculty doctors at the Institute of Medicine today said they will resign en masse tomorrow over delays on the government’s part in addressing Dr Govinda KC’s demands.

The collective move, also against the appointment of Dr Ratendra Shrestha as acting director of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, will shut all but emergency services at the hospital.

In a statement today, the agitating doctors held the government responsible for the inconveniences that patients will face due to disruption of services at the hospital’s Outpatients’ Department. Doctors informed that they will not halt medical services to indoor patients and patients at emergency wards of the hospitals.

Meanwhile, resident doctors and MBBS students of the TUTH have started wearing black arm band as a symbol of protest. They have stopped providing all but emergency services from today.

“We have taken this step to press the government to address Dr KC’s demands without delay,” said Dr Kishor Khanal of the National Resident Doctors’ Association. “We are also against the appointment of the acting director,” he said, adding that the appointment has flouted due procedures.

Dr Shrestha got appointed after Dr Koirala resigned as TUTH executive director on Friday and the TU Executive Council accepted his resignation a day later.

Dr Govinda KC, who had broken his fast-unto-death on January 24 after a three-point agreement with the government, resumed his fast on Saturday after the government failed to keep its promises.

Dr KC has put forth a charter of demands, including action against TU officials involved in ‘irregularities’ at the IoM, appointment of an IoM dean on seniority basis, action against officials, who have granted affiliation to new medical colleges that have not fulfilled the set criteria, translation of pledges that the government had made to him into action and withdrawal of the decision to appoint Dr Shrestha as TUTH director.

He has also demanded that the TU should stop granting affiliation to medical colleges in urban areas.

source:the himalayan times,10 feb 2014