KATHMANDU, July 8: Dr Govinda KC of the Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University (TU) Teaching Hospital has ended his fast unto death by having juice on Sunday. Dr KC had been on hunger strike since last Thursday demanding merit-based appointments at the TU Institute of Medicine (IoM).
He had started the fast in protest after members of a committee formed by TU to recommend three merit-based candidates for the post of dean at IoM resigned due to differences with vice-chancellor (VC) of TU Dr Hira Bahadur Maharjan.
The TU Executive Council Saturday night had appointed Prof. Dr Kumud Kumar Kafle the Dean of the TU Institute of Medicine (IoM). However, Kafle will be retiring after five weeks due to age limit.
Dr KC had also started a fast unto death on May 14 before ending it in the evening after TU, under instruction from Prime Minister Bhattarai who had called Dr KC to his residence two days earlier to withdraw the decision to fast, wrote a letter that asked a search committee to select three merit-based candidates.
The doctors again started protests and Dr KC announced the fast after TU refused to extend term of the search committee for around a month. The agitating doctors then halted their protest program after TU sacked acting dean of Institute of Medicine Dr Arun Sayami on June 25 and assured appointment of a new dean by July 4.
Six top positions at IOM, including that of dean, have remained vacant for the past eight months. The doctors have also been demanding action against the IOM officials, including Dr Sayami, who were implicated in several irregularities by the Jayaram Giri-led committee formed after the 17-day TUTH strike in March 2010.
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