The Education and Health Committee of the Legislature Parliament on Wednesday endorsed the report on Medical Education Bill presented by its sub-committee without including provisions of the agreement that the government had forged with Dr Govinda KC.

The report, prepared by a sub-committee formed under the House committee to give necessary suggestions after holding discussion on the contentious issues of the bill, was endorsed through voting process.

During today’s meet, only 18 members of the 23-member House committee were present—among them 14 lawmakers from ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and four from the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC).

The report has failed to include the provisions of the agreement signed between the government and Dr Govinda KC in its entirety, it is learnt.

Dr KC will begin his 16th hunger strike in Ilam from today saying that the government had once again reneged on its promise of reforming the country’s medical education sector by implementing the Medical Education Bill in its entirety, as agreed by the government team that led him to end his 15th hunger strike.

NC lawmakers, during the House committee meet, expressed their dissent saying that the bill must include the provisions from the agreement signed between government and Dr KC.

The sub-committee which had been holding various rounds of discussions with stakeholders had failed to arrive at consensus regarding the contentious issues in the bill. Following which the NCP lawmakers, who have larger share in the committee, endorsed the report on majority basis despite reservations of NC lawmakers.

Committee member and NC lawmaker Gagan Thapa, following the endorsement, said that it was a tragedy that the sub-committee report was endorsed by the committee without including the demands put forth by Dr KC. “Why did the government sign the agreement with Dr KC if it cannot implement it?” said lawmaker Thapa, “The government failed to honour the agreement with Dr KC.”

The ruling and opposition party lawmakers were at loggerheads over various issues of the bill including the preface, opening medical colleges outside Kathmandu, phasing out various CTEVT programmes, making medical education universities and medical education a non-profit sector within 10 years. Of them, the government and Dr KC had forged agreement on the preface, opening of medical colleges outside Kathmandu, phasing out various CTEVT programmes which are below certificate level within five years.

As per the agreement between Dr KC and the government, both Tribhuvan and Kathmandu University are barred from granting affiliations to more than five medical colleges, but the new draft of the bill has a provision that will grant affiliation to medical colleges outside the Valley, which have already received the Letter of Intent, inviting uncertainties yet again.

Dr Govinda KC had ended his hunger strike after signing a nine-point agreement with the government on July 26 last year, 27 days after he resorted to his 15th fast-unto-death.