By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Oct. 10: Members of the government-formed talks team and representatives of Dr. Govinda KC said on Friday that they were close to reach an agreement.
Representatives of both sides have also been conducting informal talks to reach an agreement soon.
The government talks team comprised of Education Secretary Gopinath Mainali, Joint-Secretary at the Health Ministry Dr. Gun Raj Lohani and Director at Medical Education Commission Dr. Dilip Sharma. Similarly, Dr. KC’s talk team includes his aide Dr. Jeewan Kshetry, President at Nepal Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Lochan Karki, former President at NMA Dr. Anjani Kumar Jha and advocate Om Prakash Aryal.
With the formation of a talk team by the government on Wednesday and initiating process to hold talks with Dr. KC, general people had believed that the authority would come to an agreement in the meeting on Thursday, but that could not happen. Since Dr. KC’s health is deteriorating, Nepalis across the country, including professional associations and political parties, have been demanding that the government should address the demands and save Dr. KC’s life at the earliest. They have also taken to streets.
However, the nearly-10-hour-meeting between the two teams on ended without an agreement. The teams could not come to an official meeting also on Friday.
“We held detailed discussion on every point of the demands, but ended without an agreement because we cannot accept to the terms of the points related with the sectors which are not under our jurisdiction. We need to consult with the government and concerned authorities before accepting the demands,” said secretary Mainali
“Dr. KC’s talk team and we had reservations in some points, but we are working to resolve them. We also want Dr. KC to end his hunger strike and create an environment so he doesn’t have to stage another strike again. I am holding informal talks regularly with Dr. KC’s team and we will soon come to an agreement.”
As per the health bulletin issued by the medical team looking after Dr. KC at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital on Friday, Dr. KC’s blood pressure was ranging from 90/40 mmHg to 110/60 mmHg and had fast heart beat (intermittent palpitations).
Dr. KC has been staging his 19th hunger strike for 26 days with a six-point demand which includes reform in medical and education sector making it accessible to all Nepalis throughout the country; ending politicisation in appointment of officials at the institutions and universities among others; and the action against individuals involved in several corruption scandals of the country.
Doctors also stated that Dr. KC had frequent Ventricular Ectopic Beats with his blood sugar level very low along with essential electrolytes and white blood cells.
“Dr. KC is in immediate danger of getting life threatening complications and needs to be admitted in ICU for monitoring and management, but he denies ICU admission,” reads the health bulletin, which has also increased the risk of pneumonia.
As the hours pass without the government agreeing to the demands of Dr. KC and making him continue with the hunger strike, his health is said to be declining as it increases the risk of Dr. KC’s health to worsen.
“The government is still hesitating to accept every demand. The reservations and compromises are not acceptable in the demands because it is for the betterment of the have nots’ rather than haves,” said Pritam Subedi, an aide to Dr. KC.
Supporters of Dr. KC across the country had been demonstrating demanding the authorities to address his reasonable and necessary demands and save his life.
“I am personally in regular contact with Dr. KC’s team coordinator and we have been discussing over the demands and the agreement situations repeatedly through phone. We will meet officially when necessary; till then we will try to resolve our issues at the earliest so Dr. KC will end the hunger strike,” Mainali told The Rising Nepal.