With the condition of Dr. Govinda KC deteriorating fast, Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has asked all doctors across the country to attend to their patients within the next 72 hours. An emergency meeting of NMA's executive committee held Thursday in the capital has asked all its 14 zonal offices to convey its message to doctors working at the local level. "We have asked all our fellow doctors to attend to their patients within 72 hours," said Dr. Anjani Kumar Jha, chairman of NMA. He informed that NMA will decide its next move after 72 hours. According to Chairman Jha, the 72 hours are also a kind of ultimatum to the government to fulfill the demands forwarded by Dr. KC. Dr. KC, a senior professor at the Institute of Medicine (IoM), has been on an indefinite hunger strike since Sunday.

Earlier, resident doctors perusing MD/MS degrees under IoM decided to boycott the out-patient department (OPD) services from Friday. Thousands of patients at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) will be deprived of care from Friday, as resident doctors are a key component of the hospital's services. Representatives of resident doctors pursuing MD/MS degrees under the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPIHS) and of the Government Doctors Association (GDA) were also present at the meeting called by IoM resident doctors. "We all have agreed to support Dr. KC's cause," said Dr. Ram Chandra Sapkota, a resident doctor at IoM. He informed that resident doctors at NAMS and BPIHS and under GDA agreed to go for stern protests if the authorities do not fulfill Dr. KC's demands by Sunday.

Students under IOM shunned academic activities from Wednesday to pressure the government to fulfill Dr. KC's demands. Dr. KC's health deteriorating fast Meanwhile, doctors monitoring Dr. KC's health have informed that his condition has been deteriorating fast. "He has severe muscle cramps and complained of chest pain," said Dr. Kapil Dev Neupane, who has been monitoring Dr. KC's condition. He informed that Dr. KC is liable to suffer a minor heart attack. "We have taken Dr. KC's blood sample to confirm the heart attack," said Dr. Neupane. He also informed that Dr. KC's vein has collapsed, because of which they have difficulty taking blood samples for examination. "He has become very weak due to prolonged and repeated hunger strikes," said Dr. Neupane. Dr. KC is on a fast-unto-death for the fifth time.