Doctors attending to Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging his 16th hunger strike for the past 21 days, have advised that he be transferred to the intensive care unit, as his health condition is deteriorating. They said that intensive care is needed to properly monitor his health condition.

A medical bulletin issued by Dr Pramesh Shrestha, a member of KC’s medical team, said that KC, however, refused to get admitted at the ICU.

Read: The journey of Dr Govinda KC through the eyes of our cartoonist

KC is complaining of severe chest pain, difficulty in breathing, sleep disturbance and generalised weakness. Oxygen saturation, heart rate, glucose and potassium level are on the lower side. He has, however, refused to take electorate replacements, the bulletin said, adding, “The medical team is constantly supervising his health status, as he may need emergency medical interventions if undue complications arise.”

The senior orthopedic surgeon of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital launched his latest hunger strike after a parliamentary committee made some crucial amendments to the National Medical Education Bill, saying that it was against an agreement he had reached with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on July 26 last year.

But the ruling Nepal Communist Party on Friday bulldozed the amended bill, which was also opposed by the main opposition Nepali Congress, through the House. The same day, KC announced that he would continue his fast. He had also demanded Oli’s resignation on “moral grounds” for breaching the deal. However, Oli, upon his return from Davos, Switzerland, told the media at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the passage of the medical bill was not an issue which needed to be blown out of proportion.

Also read: KC’s supporters say medical bill doesn’t speak to have-nots

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