Talks between the government team and the representatives of Dr Govinda KC reached a six-point agreement on Friday night. However, Dr KC, who is on a fast-unto-death protest for the last 12 days, is yet to accept the deal.

One of Dr KC’s representatives, Dr Jiwan Kshetry, said after the talks they met Dr KC and briefed him on the commitment expressed by the government team, led by National Planning Commission Vice-chairman Govind Pokhrel.

Dr KC’s representatives tried to convince him to accept the offer which assures the implementation most of the recommendations in the Mathema report.

 “It was already late in the night when we met Dr KC, so he did not give his final decision. He needed to rest,” Dr Kshetry said, adding that they Dr KC told them to meet him on Saturday morning.

After the talks were over, Pokhrel had waited at the TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj until 11 pm while Dr KC’s representatives tried to convince the fasting doctor to sign the agreement.

“Dr KC’s team told me they would convince him to sign the agreement,” Pokhrel said.

After a four-hour long negotiation, the government side had agreed, among other things, to set the fee ceiling for MBBS studies at Rs3.5 million, limiting the number of student intake for medical school at 100, and withholding affiliations to new medical schools in Kathmandu Valley.

Dr KC has presented eight demands, including strict implementation of the Mathema report, legal action against the education minister for exerting undue pressure on the Institute of Medicine to grant affiliations, and putting an end to political meddling in medical sector.