The Social Affairs Committee of the cabinet on Wednesday decided to set up a health professionals' education commission in line with the 11-point agreements reached with Dr KC.
Dr KC, who had staged hunger strikes for five times in the past demanding various reforms in Nepal's medical education, launched his sixth fast-unto-death on August 24 calling for the implementation of Mathema taskforce report and past accords reached with him.
A cabinet meeting held two weeks ago had entrusted the cabinet's Social Affairs Committee to look into the matter of forming the commission. The committee on Wednesday issued an order to the Ministry of Education to set up the commission.
As per the committee, the 9-member commission will be headed by education minister and a former vice-chancellor or an expert on medical education will be appointed as vice-president of the commission.
The commission will be responsible for devising a national policy on medical education within three months of its formation and present it to the government through Education Ministry for review. Likewise, the commission will also monitor whether the decisions made by the government for improving quality and professionalism in the medical sector are effectively implemented or not.
The commission will have the freedom to chart out necessary strategies and issue directives for the effective implementation of government decisions regarding the country's medical education.
Under pressure to negotiate and end to Dr Govinda KC's fifth fast-unto-death, Prime Minister Koirala had formed an eight member high-level task force led by former vice chancellor of the Tribhuvan University Kedar Bhakta Mathema on November 17, 2014 for proposing ways to reform medical education sector.
The task force, which took seven months to prepare its report, had suggested that the government establish an autonomous medical education commission for regulating medical education. In the press statement, the Social Affairs Committee has stated that decisions on the other demands of Dr KC will be taken in its next meeting.
Apart from formation of the commission, the taskforce had suggested capping the fees for MBBS programs at Rs 3.5 million. Medical colleges in the country have been charging MBBS students up to Rs 4.5 million.
Likewise, the taskforce also recommended to the government not to grant affiliation to colleges in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts for running bachelor's level programs in medicine, dentistry and nursing for the next 10 years.
It also suggested to the government to set up at least one public health education institution that runs bachelor's level programs in medicine in each of the development regions.
Related story
Make Sure Medical Professionals Are Safe
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
