Crusader for medical education reform and senior orthopedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC initiated his 15th fast-unto-death, in Jumla on Saturday afternoon. He began the hunger strike under police custody but was subsequently released . Police arrested KC after he landed in Jumla to protest against alternations made to the Medical Education Ordinance Replacement Bill, among other issues. Dr KC arrived in Jumla on Friday and he was arrested on Saturday afternoon while staging a protest in front of Jumla District Administration Office (DAO) . He was arrested on the ground that protests could not be staged in a prohibited zone. In light of Dr KC’s hunger strike, the DAO had issued a public notice banning any kind of strike including hunger strike, agitation or demonstration within 200 meters of the DAO, the district police office and the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences (KIHS). The doctor began his planned hunger strike while in police custody. The DAO then ordered his release, following protests by his supporters. According to relatives, the surgeon is currently on hunger strike inside the hall of the District Sports Development Committee. They accuse police of dumping the hunger striker inside the hall without making any arrangements. Dr KC had reached Jumla-based KIHS to stage his 15th fast-unto-death in protest against alleged tamperings with the medical education bill, and against the delay in starting an MBBS program at KIHS. He started the hunger strike at 2 pm at Jumla District Police Office where he was under custody. He has put forth a seven-point demand. The first demand is endorsement of the Medical Education Ordinance Replacement Bill by parliament without making any changes to it. Likewise, he has demanded the development of proper infrastructure and sufficient human resources at KIHS for its MBBS and other graduate programmes. He has also sought speedy construction of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences and Geta Medical College as well as establishment of government medical colleges in Panchthar-Ilam, Dadeldhura-Doti and Udayapur. Thirdly, he demanded the government reverse the decision to ban demonstrations at Maitighar Mandala in the capital. The fourth demand is action against officials associated with medical education who were deemed guilty by a judicial investigation commission. They should face action as recommended by the commission, he said. He has also demanded that the powers snatched from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) by Tribhuvan University should be reinstated to foster IOM’s autonomy. Another demand is implementation of standards for officials set by the University Grants Commission. Likewise, Dr KC has demanded scrapping of the Scholarship Management and Mobilization Procedures 2075 and enforcement of two years of compulsory service by post graduates whose studies were supported with scholarships. He further demands that all private institutions should provide cost-free medical masters degrees from the next academic year. In the seventh point, Dr KC has demanded arrest of those involved in leaving students of Janaki Medical College high and dry. The college is currently closed and its students face an uncertain future. Dr KC has urged the government to make appropriate arrangements for them and to take the initiatives to open a government medical college in Province 2. प्रहरी धरपकडका बीच डा. गोविन्द केसीले आमरण अनसन थालेका छन् । डा. केसीले कर्णाली स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठानमा अनसन बस्ने घोषणा गरेका थिए तर, स्थानीय प्रशासनले शुक्रबार निषेधित क्षेत्र घोषणा गर्दै अनसन बस्न दिएन । निषेधित क्षेत्र तोड्दै अनसन बस्न खोजेपछि प्रहरीले पक्राउ गरेर जिल्ला प्रहरी कार्यालयमा पुर्‍याएको थियो । डा. केसीले प्रहरी हिरासतमै २ बजे अनसन थाले । अहिले प्रहरीले कभर्ड हलमा पुर्‍याएको छ र डा. केसी त्यही अनसनरत छन् । डा. केसीले चिकित्सा शिक्षा अध्यादेश प्रतिस्थापन विधेयक ल्याउनु पर्ने लगायतका ७ बुँदे माग राखेका छन् । मागहरु १) चिकित्सा शिक्षा अध्यादेशको प्रतिस्थापन विधेयक तत्काल संसदमा पेश गरेर स्नातकोत्तर तहपछिको सेवा अवधिबाहेक बाँकी बुँदाहरुमा कुनै परिवर्तन नगरी यथारुपमा पारित गरियोस् । तत्पश्चात् अविलम्ब चिकित्सा शिक्षा आयोगलाई कार्यकारी उपाध्यक्षसहित पूर्णता दिएर मात्र साझा प्रवेश परीक्षा सञ्चालनलगनयत कामहरु सुचारु गरियोस् । २) कर्णाली स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठानमा अविलम्ब एमबीबीएस लगायत स्नातक तहका विद्यार्थी भर्ना गर्ने गरी पूर्वाधार र जनशक्ति कायम गरियोस् । राप्ती स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान र गेटा मेडिकल कलेजको काम शीघ्र अघि बढाइयोस् । पाँचथर–इलाम, डडेल्धुरा–डोटी र उदयपुरमा सरकारी मेडिकल कलेजहरु स्थापना गरियोस् । ३) माइतीघर मण्डला क्षेत्रमा प्रदर्शन निषेध गर्ने निर्णय तत्काल सदाका लागि फिर्ता गरियोस् । ४) चिकित्सा शिक्षा सम्बन्धी न्यायिक जाँचबुझ आयोगले दोषी ठहर्याएका पदाधिकारीहरुलाई आयोगको सिफारिश बमोजिम कारवाही गरियोस् । त्रिविले खोसेका अधिकारहरु आइओएममा फिर्ता गर्दै आइओएमलाई थप स्वायत्तता दिइयोस् । ५) विश्वविद्यालय अनुदान आयोगका अध्यक्षको संयोजकत्वमा बनेको पदाधिकारी मापदण्ड निर्धारण समितिको प्रतिवेदन कार्यान्वयन गरियोस् । ६) कथित छात्रवृत्ति व्यवस्थापन तथा परिचालन कार्यविधि २०७५ खारेज गरी चिकित्सा शिक्षा ऐनमा स्नातकोत्तर तहको छात्रवृत्तिपछि २ वर्ष अनिवार्य सेवाको व्यवस्था गरियोस् । आगामी शैक्षिक सत्रदेखि सबै निजी संस्थाहरुमा समेत चिकित्साको स्नातकोत्तर तह निःशुल्क गरियोस् । ७) पठनपाठन ठप्प भइसकेको जानकी मेडिकल कलेजका विद्यार्थीहरुलाई उचित व्यवस्थापन गर्दै विद्यार्थीहरुलाई अलपत्र पार्नमा जिम्मेवार व्यक्तिहरुलाई तत्काल कारवाही गरियोस् । तथा प्रदेश २ मा सरकारी मेडिकल कलेज खोल्ने काम तत्काल शुरु गरियोस् ।