Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has gone against his own decision to halt affiliations to new medical colleges. It has been revealed that PM in his capacity as Chancellor of Tribhuvan University (TU) directed the Ministry of Education three weeks ago to begin the affiliation process of those medical colleges having the Nepal Medical Council nod and deemed eligible by an expert panel.

In a letter sent to the Education Ministry on February 13, the PM has directed to start the affiliation process of the colleges that have fulfilled all legal provisions and have infrastructure required to run the MBBS programmes. After Dr Govinda KC had warned to resume his hunger strike, PM Koirala instructed the Institute of Medicine (IoM) Faculty Board on November 10 not to grant affiliation to any medical colleges. PMO Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi confirmed that PM Koirala in his directives to the ministry has lifted the ban imposed on affiliation.

On November 7, three teams led by medical experts had recommended that National Medical College of Ghattekulo, Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences and People’s Dental College could be granted affiliation as they fulfil all the required criteria set by the government.

Following Koirala’s directives, Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav on February 18 asked the TU to proceed with affiliation based on the existing legal provision and take other decisions as per a medical education policy which is being drafted. The government has formed a nine-member committee under education expert Kedar Bhakta Mathema to draft the medical education policy to guide the medical education in the country.

“As per the Education Ministry’s directives, we have asked IoM proceed with the affiliation process,” said TU Vice-chancellor Hira Bahadur Maharjan. In its directives, the TU has asked its subordinate office to take the action on the affiliation process within 10 days of receiving the letter. The IoM authority received the letter on Monday.

Acknowledging the receipt of TU letter with directives, IoM Dean Dr Rakesh Srivastav said he would table the proposal a Faculty Board meeting. “A final decision will be based on what transpires at the meeting,” he said.

The government is under pressure for granting the affiliation to the three medical colleges promoted by leaders of the UML and the UCPN (Maoist). Two months ago, 146 UML lawmakers had appealed to PM Koirala to open affiliation for new colleges. Similarly, the UML Parliamentary Committee on Women, Children, Elderly Citizens and Social Welfare directed the Education Ministry to allow the medical and engineering colleges that have acquired the Letter of Intent (LoI) to operate.

Over two dozen leaders from the ruling UML are among the share-holders of Manmohan, while National is owned by Basuridhin Ansari who contested the second CA election on the Maoist ticket.

source: the kathmandu post,4 March 2015