Civil society leaders have stepped up their pressure campaign to force the government to withdraw a bill that aims to elevate the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) to the status of an autonomous academy.

The government had tabled the “Manmohan Adhikari Academy of Health Sciences-2015 Bill” in Parliament on December 25.

The campaigners, including former chief secretaries, former chief election commissioners, professors and top surgeons and doctors, are set to submit a petition to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday to press the government to withdraw its decision to give autonomous status to the MMIHS, whose major shares are owned by ruling CPN-UML members.

The petition signed by as many as 40 civil society leaders have warned against circumventing rules to benefit a certain health institution, the MMIHS in this case, saying it will set a bad precedent.

The campaign is being led by Tribhuvan University former vice-chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema, who had chaired a committee to formulate a national health policy. The Mathema-led committee in June-end last year had submitted its report, recommending, among other things, that the government encourage establishing medical colleges outside Kathmandu Valley.

According to Mathema, the campaigners were seeking an appointment with PM Oli to submit the petition.

“We are also gathering  public support,” said Mathema. He also made it clear that the campaign was not aimed against any particular political party or a revered leader like the late Manmohan Adhikari.

“We will be happy to see institutions being run in the name of Manmohan [Adhikari]. But taking a wrong route to legalise a profit-making institution is not acceptable,” said Mathema.

He also warned of stern protests if the government failed to pay heed to the campaigners’ request.

The petition has been signed by Mathema, Dr Madan Upadhya, former chief election commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel, political expert Krishna Khanal, former chief secretaries Bimal Koirala and Leela Mani Poudel, Nilambar Acharya, social worker Anuradha Koirala, Dr Upendra Devkota, Kul Chandra Gautam, Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansa Acharya among others. The bill is now at the parliamentary Women, Children, Elderly Citizen and Social Welfare Committee, which is chaired by UML lawmaker Ranju Kumari Jha.

The committee has influential UML lawmakers, including Rajendra Pandey, who also chairs the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, and Dr Bansidhar Mishra, who has a controlling share in the cooperative that runs the institute.