The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging fast-unto-death for the last four days, and the hospital administration’s apathy towards making necessary medical arrangements.

A team from the NHRC, including human rights officer Dipendra Singh and Kiran Ghimire, visited Dr KC on Wednesday afternoon and took stock of his condition. “The hospital had actively provided health services while also forming health committees during the seven previous protests that Dr KC had staged,” said Singh. “No such arrangements have been made this time around. This is a serious breach of person’s right to life.”

Dr KC began his death fast on July 10, demanding reforms in medical education including the endorsement of Health Profession Education Commission bill.

The team members, however, could not meet Dr Deepak Mahara, executive director of the TU Teaching Hospital, as he was on leave.

The hospital administration has turned a deaf ear to repeated requests for providing healthcare to Dr KC. It has not formed a health committee to monitor the condition of Dr KC.

Many senior doctors are said to be worried about Dr KC’s demand to impeach chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lokman Singh Karki and Commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak. During a routine morning meeting on Tuesday at the TUTH, some of the doctors reportedly raised concerns that the CIAA might come after them and ruin their carrier if they support Dr KC.

Dr KC is complaining of chest pain while the level of glucose in his blood has decreased, said resident doctors attending to him. 

Meanwhile, the National Resident Doctors Association (NRDA) of Institute of Medicine has decided to boycott all academic programmes beginning on Thursday in support of Dr KC’s protest.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the NRDA said they will, however, work in their respective duty stations.

Similarly, the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal has also shown its solidarity to the ongoing protest, extending support to Dr KC’s demands including the impeachment of CIAA chief Karki.