After a four-point deal with the government, Bikas Tiwari, the chairman of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Gajendrawadi), ended his hunger strike on the 18th day on Saturday. 

He signed the deal with the government team, led by Health Minister Gagan Thapa, on the premises of Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital where he had been staging the indefinite protest fast since November 23 demanding various reforms and facilities at the hospital.

To end his hunger strike, Tiwari drank juice offered by 14-month-old Nilam Kumari Mandal, who is being treated for malnourishment. 

Tiwari’s demands include making the hospital children friendly, ensuring safe drinking water and healthy meals to patients, filling doctor vacancies, investigating the hospital irregularities and completing the under-construction building for maternity service.  

According to the agreement, the government will post doctors, including specialists, in the vacant posts within a month and form a committee to probe the alleged irregularities at the hospital. It was also agreed that the Department of Health will provide the budget allocated in the current fiscal year within a week and the ministry will facilitate in procurement of various equipment for the hospital.  

Minister Thapa said the government was committed to implement the agreement.

Tiwari said he had resorted to hunger strike for the sake of people visiting the hospital.