The government has transferred Dr Govinda KC to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Tuesday evening after widespread condemnation of taking him to the National Trauma Center using police force earlier on the day.
Dr KC's associate Dr Pritam Subedi told Setopati that he has been taken to the TUTH at 6:30 in the evening after being discharged from the Trauma Center.
The police had earlier used force to take the fasting doctor to the Trauma Center. The blatant use of force against the retired doctor, who has been on a fast-onto-death for over a week, was widely condemned by the general public and opposition leaders in the social media.
The government has taken him to the TUTH as per his wish due to the intense pressure.
The TUTH, where Dr KC worked until retirement, had sent an ambulance to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to take hims to the hospital in Maharajgunj.
He has been brought to Kathmandu after he refused treatment at the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences where he was forcibly taken to by the administration late Saturday night. He was taken to Nepalgunj from Jumla on Monday and brought to Kathmandu on an airplane on Tuesday.
Driver of the TUTH ambulance Mithram Thapa told Setopati that the police barged into the ambulance after Dr KC boarded it and forced him to drive to the Trauma Center instead. "The police forcibly dragged Dr KC out of the ambulance after reaching the Trauma Center," Thapa stated. "Dr KC was refusing saying he worked at the TUTH and will go there. But they lifted him from where he was sitting."
The police said that he was taken to the Trauma Center as COVID-19 patients are treated at the TUTH. "I cannot speak about why he was taken to the Trauma Center. But he may have been taken there as TUTH and Bir are dedicated COVID-19 hospitals," SSP with the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu Shyam Gyawali told Setoapti. "Can the police leave him on the street when he refuses to go? The police folded two hands in request. You should also film that. That happened as he refused to unboard."
The health of DR KC, who started his 19th fast-unto-death in Jumla on September 14 with a six-point demand including immediate start of MBBS program in the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences completing necessary infrastructure and human resources, is gradually deteriorating and he is getting weaker.
Dr KC, who was in Jumla before the start of nationwide lockdown in March providing free treatment to patients in the remote district in Karnali, had started the fast at Babira Mast temple in Singhachaur near Jumla Bazar demanding immediate start of MBBS program in the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences.
The other demands include start of classes in Geta Medical College and Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, and start of process to start government medical colleges in Province 2, Gandaki province, Doti or Dadeldhura, Udayapur, and Ilam or Panchthar.
He has also demanded correction of appointments made at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) under the Tribhuvan University violating seniority, and legislation to ensure fair and transparent appointment at universities, councils, academies and other bodies as per the recommendation of the committee to set standards for such appointments.
He has demanded regular budget for Bayalpata Hospital to ensure sustainable free service, and investigation and action in corruption cases including Rajya Laxmi Golchha corruption scam, procurement of land for the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), procurement of wide-body planes, security printing press, land in Baluwatar and Durbar Marga, and procurement of medical supplies by Omni Group among others.
He has also called for making use of face mask and social distancing mandatory, and expansion of PCR testing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and gradually stop lockdown and prohibitory orders.
