PRADIP MENYANGBO

Patients at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan have been affected due to the agitation of junior doctors demanding 33 percent scholarship quotas in the Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Surgery (MS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) programmes.

The agitating doctors have padlocked the office of four chief office-bearers of the hospital administration, including Vice-chancellor Dr Balabhadra Prasad Das, for the past 10 days and stopped their work.

The doctors associated with their union, Junior Resident Welfare Society, have taken to the streets right after the hospital administration publicised admission in MD, MS and MDS. They have also warned of staging a relay hunger strike before the OPD building from Monday if their demands are not met.

“We are ready to sit for the talks. However, the hospital administration has not heeded our demands even after 14 days of the protest,” said an agitating Dr Bikash Gauchan.

According to hospital authorities, the health facility receives around 300 patients on a daily basis. However, the doctors’ strike has affected services at the hospital. Das said the hospital administration has allocated 29 percent scholarship in clinical quotas. He said the dissident doctors could resolve the problem through talks.

“It is not suitable for doctors to agitate without resolving the matter through talks,” he said.

Published on: 26 May 2014 | The Kathmandu Post