The health condition of Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging fast-unto-death for the last 11 days, has deteriorated further and might need an emergency medical care, according to doctors attending to him.

Medical reports on Saturday showed a rapid depletion of calcium in the blood that might result in erratic heartbeat of the fasting doctor. His pressure is steadily dropping. 

The condition of Dr KC, who is kept on oxygen support, “is frail and worsening”, said Dr Dibya Singh, a professor at the IoM. 

Dr KC began his 13th hunger strike on October 5 with a four-point demand, calling for a parliamentary endorsement of the Health Profession Education Bill by incorporating important changes as suggested by experts. This includes a 10-year moratorium on establishment of new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley, while a hospital should run for at least three years before they can apply for affiliation of medical colleges.

Dr KC has also demanded that all medical schools should comply with the government-proposed fee structure for medical colleges along with the removal of Vice-chancellor of Kathmandu University Dr Ram Kantha Makaju and Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS) Dean Dr Rajendra Koju. He has also demanded revocation of the KU decision to charge medical education fees higher than the amount set by the government. The KUSMS has allowed its medical college to charge as much as Rs5 million for the MBBS courses. 

Dr KC has demanded that the government should immediately allocate necessary budget to run academic programmes in Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla.  

The crusader has also asked for a thorough investigation into embezzlement of billions of rupees in Nepal Oil Corporation land purchase deals. 

The Cabinet sacked Gopal Bahadur Khadka as NOC chief on September 18 after separate probes by five parliamentary committees and the Ministry of Supplies had revealed his involvement in irregularities while buying land in Bhairahawa, Chitwan, Sarlahi and Jhapa to build oil storage facilities.

However on October 9, issuing a show cause against the government’s decision the Supreme Court issued an interim order to reinstate him to the post.

Meanwhile, talks committee members representing Dr KC said that their meeting on Sunday with the government team was inconclusive. 

Although discussions were held on all the points, the government team failed to provide them headway, said Dr Abhisek Raj Singh, a close aide of Dr KC. 

The government talks committee is led by Nagendra Prasad Upadhyay, secretary at the Prime Ministers’ Office, with members including Dilli Rimal, officiating secretary at the Ministry of Education and Dr Kiran Regmi, secretary at the Health Ministry.