The term of a sub-committee constituted to carry out a study on various issues related to medical colleges including the dispute over fee structure has been extended by one month.
A meeting of the House of Representatives' Education and Health Committee on April 9 formed a nine-member sub-committee under the convenorship of committee member Suresh Kumar Rai to carry out a study on medical education issues.
The committee at its meeting Tuesday decided to extend the sub-committee's term by one month. Committee president Jayapuri Gharti attended the meeting. The sub-committee's tenure has been extended two times before this.
The sub-committee had requested the committee to extend its term citing it had not completed its study yet.
The sub-committee has so far carried out study at 20 various government and private sector medical colleges. It has carried out study on implementation of the stipulated fee for Bachelor level (MBBS and BDS) as well as other programs run under the medical science.
It is yet to carry out study in this regard of the Kathmandu University Dhulikhel and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Dharan, the sub-committee coordinator Rai said.
The sub-committee has completed study of Nepal Medical College, Kathmandu Medical Sciences, Universal College of Medical Sciences, Chitwan Medical College, Kantipur Dental College, KIST Medical College, National Medical College, Gandaki Medical College and Nepal Army Health Sciences Academy.
Similarly, it has carried out study of Janaki Medical College, Devdaha Medical College, Manipal Medical College, Lumbini Medical College, Birat Medical College, Nepalgunj Medical College, Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, People's Dental College and Nobel Medical College.
The sub-committee comprises Khagaraj Adhikari, Yogesh Bhattarai, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Umesh Shrestha, Santa Kumar Tharu, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Mana Kumari GC and Ekwal Miya.
Committee president Gharti has directed the sub-committee to complete its study and submit a report in the next one month. Sub-committee convenor Rai briefed the committee about the works carried out by the sub-committee so far.
The Cabinet meeting on October 14, 2018 fixed the fees for MBBS and BDS program under the Faculty of Medical Education. Fees for MBBS course inside the Kathmandu Valley was fixed at Rs 3,850,000 and medical colleges outside the Valley are allowed to charge Rs 4,245,000 per student of the full course. Similarly, the charge for BDS program has been put at Rs 1,932,612.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had directed the University and medical colleges to implement the Cabinet decision. The Committee had already instructed the Ministry to make sure the implementation of the decision, citing an unimplemented status of the decision.
It may be noted that the ministerial-level meeting (Ministry of Education) on February 20 ordered the TU vice-chancellor to probe the matter and take required action towards that end. Similarly, the March 18 meeting of the Medical Education Commission told the Ministry to make sure the enforcement of the decision. The Education and Health Committee received complaints from guardians that private medical college overcharge students.
Sub-committee member and former Minister for Health and Population, Khagaraj Adhikari, informed the meeting that private medical colleges are found overcharging students.
Sub-committee another member Man Kumari GC spoke the need of systematizing the medical education fee system. Similarly, a bill related to safe and peaceful use of atomic and radiology substances was presented in the meeting.
