Review Nepal News

MEPC report and the issue of reform in the medical education sector

www.reviewnepal.com
  Kathmandu, Nepal      February 18 2018

 

The Medical Education Probe Commission (MEPC), which was formed in April last year under the leadership of former Special Court Chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate controversies related to medical education as demanded by the fasting surgeon Dr.Govinda KC, has created a big jolt in the medical sector after it exposed some names indicating them of acting dubious roles in the medical educations sectors. With the submission of the report, the monopolies engulfed in the medical education sector have surfaced again even though the report submitted to the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Feb 4 is yet to make public officially. Some concerned officials of the concerned authorities, who are indicated as crooked in the report, have felt high fever in recent days. 

The report has not only mentioned about the misconducts in the medical sector but also recommended the government to take action against 43 officials indicating them as responsible to create the controversies in the medical education sector, while granting affiliations to some controversial medical colleges violating the norms and values set by the government. As Karki has earned his reputation against of the corruption from his bold verdicts on several high-profile corruption cases during his tenure as SC Chairman, we do expect that the report has to be implemented without any further delay to improve the medical education sector in Nepal. 

The Karki-led MEPC, which includes neurosurgeon Dr Upendra Devkota and joint secretary at the Ministry of Education Surya Prasad Gautam as members, has recommended for an action against Tribhuvan University (TU) top brass including Vice Chancellor Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Rector Sudha Tripati, and Registrar Dilli Ram Uprety.  Others recommended high profile persons include Nepal Medical Council (NMC) former president Dr Damodar Gajurel and Dr Nilmani Upadhyay including disgraced former chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse and Authority (CIAA) Lok Man Singh Karki. As the indicated names were already dragged into controversies during the hunger strikes launched by senior orthopedic doctor Govinda KC labeling the charges of involving in  the delinquency in the medical education sector while granting affiliations to some medical colleges, there is no need to be confused to implement the report . 

The report has to be implemented not only to fulfill the past commitments made by the government with Dr. KC but also to initiate process to reform in the medical education sector. As Dr KC has already urged the government to make the MEPC report and take action against the officials who have so contributed to the deterioration of the medical education sector, it is likely that Dr. KC and his supporters would begin another strike if the report is not implemented on time.  As entire students in medical colleges, medical progressions including the doctors and common citizens have taken up the torch demanding reforms in the medical sector, any further delay to implement the report would be taken as of a government’s support to the corrupt who have misused the authorities to help the medical mafias.

It is likely that the incumbent government would not make public the report enabling it to implement due to the time constraint as it is being step-down within few days.  It is likely that new government will be formed under the leadership of the CPN UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in the backing of the CPN Maoist Center even though the process of the party unification was not ended immediately. Principally, change of guard of the government should not have its affects in the daily routine of the government, but there are sufficient grounds to be suspicious that the report would not come into implementation to control the anomalies in the medical sectors as indicated by the fasting orthopedic surgeon Dr. Govinda KC during the tenure of the CPN UML. 

As the issue of granting affiliations to some medical colleges, including the medical colleges in which the UML leaders have invested, was also a part of Dr. KC’s agitation, the UML led government would not be ready to implement the MEPC report as the issue is associated even with the issue of granting affiliations to the controversial medical colleges. We have no intention to defame to be formed UML led government casting doubts unnecessarily rather than the objective of reforming the medical education sector in Nepal.  As of the recommendation of the report, all the corrupt officials should be penalized immediately either shacking out from the position, or disqualification for any future employment in government or semi-government bodies for periods of five, three, or two years, commensurate to their level of collusion.