Incident Reports

Dr Govinda KC to begin indefinite hunger strike today

2015-08-24

Bagmati, Kathmandu, Kathmandu

 A senior orthopaedic surgeon at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University Dr Govinda KC is launching an indefinite hunger strike today. According to Dr KC's representative Jiwan Kshetry, the doctor is beginning the strike at 4 pm today after organizing a press conference at 3 pm. This is the sixth hunger strike Dr KC is staging over the last few years demanding the formulation and implementation of policies to reform the country's medical sector. KC's decision to stage yet another fast-unto-death comes as the last resort to pile pressure on the government to implement the policy reforms on medical education recommended by a high-level committee led by Professor Kedar Bhakta Mathema. The Mathema committee, which was formed in November last year to recommend national medical education policy, had submitted its report to the government on June 29. However, the government made it public only after a month on August 4. And despite repeated requests by the doctor, the government has failed to implement the recommendations. Dr KC had planned to begin a hunger strike on August 12. However, he had postponed it by two weeks after the government assured him of fulfilling the demands. A few days before that, he had issued a press statement putting forth 6-point demands and warned of staging indefinite hunger strike on August 12 if his demands were not met by then. 
Details and Impacts
Violent / Non-violent Nonviolent
Primary Form Other forms of non-violent protest
Primary Cause Issues related to the quality of public services (health, education etc.)and access to these services
Actor 1 - Number of people 1
Actor 1 - Affiliations Health sector/health workers, doctors
Actor 1 - Youth na
Actor 2 - Number of people n/a
Actor 2 - Affiliation (Target) Government and civil servants at central level
Actor 2 - Youth na
National/Online Media

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