Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging an indefinite hunger strike, on Thursday penned an open letter to the parliamentarians urging them to correct the provisions of the Medical Education Bill.

Dr KC has pointed out the mistakes on the draft of the National Medical Education Bill that was endorsed by the parliamentary Health and Education Committee on majority basis by making amendments that differed with the provisions of the agreement reached with Dr KC when he ended his 15^th hunger strike on July 26, 2018 after 27 days.

Pointing out that the report submitted by KedarBhaktaMathemapanel, formed to study the anomalies in medical education system and ways to end them, was the guiding tool in the formation of the Bill, Dr KC wrote, “It is sad that the bill, this time, was not submitted before the parliament in accordance with the agreement forged with the government and as per the ordinance which was presented by Nepal government and endorsed by the parliament two times.”

Dr KC, in the letter, said the journey to ensure the quality of medical education and health service will remain incomplete if the bill is endorsed by the parliament in its current form. He further expressed his belief that the parliamentarians will take decisions putting aside the influence of those who abandon the core issue with the change in government and power.

Referring to the Mathema-panel report, Dr KC reiterated that one university in Nepal cannot bear the burden of granting affiliation to more than five medical colleges. He further demanded the government open at least one medical college in each province and take necessary decisions after hearing the suggestion from the medical education commission on the part of private medical colleges.

In his open letter, Dr KC lamented the removal of key provisions from the bill which were in favour of the people and medical students. “The bill is now in your hand and it is time for you [parliamentarians] to decide if you want to ensure quality medical education and health service, or not,” he wrote.