A rally was taken out in Panchthar district headquarters Phidim today in support of Dr Govinda KC, who has been staging hunger strike for the past 10 days seeking reforms in the medical education sector.

Teachers, businessmen and civil society leaders took part in the rally. Speakers at the meeting demanded that the government implement the agreement it signed with Dr KC.

A rally was also taken out in Ilam to pressure the government to implement the agreement with Dr KC.

The rally was taken out jointly by Federal Democratic National Forum and Federal Limbuwan Forum Nepal with the support of the locals. The participants of the rally threatened to continue such protest until Dr KC’s demands were addressed by the government..

After his health condition worsened, Dr KC who had started his 16th fast-unto-death at a house in Phugachhi, Ilam Municipality-7, was shifted to Ilam Hospital a few days ago.

As there was no sign of his health improving even at the hospital, he was taken to Bhadrapur by road and then airlifted to Kathmandu via a Nepali Army chopper this morning.

He is currently undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.

Dr KC had resorted to his 16th fast-unto-death from January 9 after the Education and Health Committee under the Federal Parliament had endorsed a medical education bill going against the previous agreement with him.

Meanwhile, a youth Bijaya Thapa who had also started a hunger strike in Ilam eight days ago, seeking passage of the bill through the Federal Parliament without bowing to Dr KC’s pressure, was also taken to Kathmandu this morning. After being airlifted via a Nepali Army chopper at around 10:00am, he is also undergoing treatment at Trivhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Though the government authorities in Jhapa had planned to airlift both the strikers to Kathmandu by the same flight, Dr Govinda KC was then separately flown in view of his worsening health condition.