Dr Govinda KC, who started the 16
th hunger strike in Ilam, has been airlifted to Kathmandu on a Nepal Army helicopter at three Friday morning after his health deteriorated. He has been admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).
The chopper was sent to airlift Dr KC after doctors warned on Thursday that it would be risky to keep him in Ilam.
"Fasting orthopedic surgeon was brought from Ilam to Bhadrapur on an ambulance and then to Kathmandu via Nepal Army helicopter,"Coordinator of the Dr KC's dialogue team Dr Abhishek Raj Singh told Setopati immediately after landing at TIA on Friday morning.
The government did not take initiative to bring Dr KC to Kathmandu. He was brought to Kathmandu with the initiative of those reaching Ilam to take stock of his health on Thursday including former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, former TU vice-chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema, senior advocate Surendra Bhandari and Dr Singh.
Doctors, who reached Ilam on Wednesday and conducted tests and checkup on Dr KC, had said Ilam Hospital does not have necessary infrastructure and facilities if his health suddenly deteriorates further. They urged that Dr KC be shifted to a hospital with better facilities and infrastructure.
A team of six doctors including those from the BP Koirala Institute of Health Science, Dharan did checkup of Dr KC Wednesday evening. “We had gone along with equipment to do checkup. Many health problems were seen after conducting checkup,” senior cardiologist Prashant Sah told Setopati.
Blood glucose had plummeted to a very low level, according to Dr Sah. “His glucose level is lower than 50 milligrams per deciliter. People faint and their brain may stop functioning if the blood glucose level drops below 50 mg/dl in normal human beings,” he had elaborated. “He is speaking even now perhaps due to the capacity built over many rounds of hunger strike. But he can pass out anytime. There can be problem in respiration.”
His oxygen saturation was also falling. Dr Shah said the oxygen saturation level that is usually above 95 percent for healthy persons was around 80 percent and fluctuating by the hour. His blood albumin level was 3.3 gram/dl. The normal range for healthy human beings is 3.4-5.9 gram/dl.
“His legs have started to swell due to lack of albumin. White blood cell count is also falling. There will be higher chance of infection in the body if both protein (albumin and globulin) and WBC levels fall,” Dr Sah had stated. “This can wreak havoc on the body soon and can lead to pneumonia.”
Dr KC was on a medicine to regulate heartbeats before starting the fast. “He has discontinued it due to the fast. The heartbeats, therefore, are getting irregular. It falls down to 35 beats per minute at times and then suddenly shoots up to 200,” Dr Sah had revealed. “There are also other problems. Accumulation of toxins in his body has increased and that can lead to heart failure at any moment.”
He had said Dr KC’s health had deteriorated very much and keeping him in Ilam would be risky. “Ilam Hospital lacks infrastructure. A ventilator is necessary to help in respiration if a person faints. The hospital does not have ventilators,” he said.
“It will be difficult to treat him by sending a team of specialists. It will be risky to give medication for heart without monitoring his heartbeats.”
Sah said serious problems started in Dr KC’s health on the sixth day of the fast this time as his body has become weaker. “His health is under a great risk. He should be taken to a safe hospital with facilities to provide timely treatment and to prevent his life from coming under threat.”
Dr KC was shifted to Ilam Hospital on Monday after starting his fast at the vacant building of the Urban Development Project on January 9.
Dr KC had suffered from chest pain, cough and other problems from the second day itself, and was shifted to the hospital after his heartbeats became irregular from Sunday.
Dr KC has demanded that the agreement the government signed with him before ending his 15th fast-unto death on July 26, 2018 be implemented to the letter.
The Medical Education Bill, passed by the Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on the basis of majority despite opposition of four NC lawmakers, mainly violated three agreements signed with Dr KC.
The provision prohibiting a university from giving affiliation to more than five medical colleges has been weakened in the bill adding that those outside the Kathmandu Valley that have acquired letter of intent (LOI) can be given affiliation by the Tribhuvan University and the Kathmandu University.
B&C Hospital in Birtamode, Jhapa has acquired LOI from the Kathmandu University, that has already provided affiliation to at least five medical colleges, to operate a medical college.
The bill endorsed on Wednesday will pave the way for immediate affiliation to B&C. The agreement mentioned medical colleges to be opened outside Kathmandu Valley will have to comply with the policies to be formulated by the Medical Education Commission meaning B&C would have to wait for formation of the commission, and formulation of policies by the commission to get affiliation.
The second is formation of the all-powerful commission for regulation of medical education and to formulate policies about the sector. Dr KC suspects that the bill passed on Wednesday mentioned Medical Education University to undermine the commission.
The third is the issue of Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) that the government had agreed to phase out within five years as the Health Ministry has already announced it will not recruit human resources with qualification of just certificate level. But the bill passed Wednesday states that the CTEVT will continue until the government so wishes.
