The Nepal Medical Association has urged the government to take immediate steps, including holding talks, to protect senior physician Prof Dr Govinda KC as his health deteriorates during a hunger strike in Kathmandu. In a joint statement, association president Dr Badri Rijal and general secretary Dr Bishwaraj Dawadi called on the authorities to act without delay. Dr KC has been fasting for several days to press for reforms in medical education and the health sector, with reports giving the duration as four to five days.

Association calls for immediate intervention

The association’s central appeal is for the government to engage with Dr KC and respond to the urgency of his condition. Its call for immediate talks places the focus on dialogue as a way to address the dispute while his health is worsening. The statement, signed by Rijal and Dawadi, asks the government not to delay action.

The appeal connects the need for talks directly to Dr KC’s life and health. He is an established physician and professor, and his ongoing fast has brought renewed attention to his demands for changes in medical education and health services. The association has not presented the matter simply as a disagreement over policy: its statement urges the authorities to intervene while he is in a deteriorating condition.

The association’s immediate requests are:

  • Take action without delay in response to Dr KC’s worsening health.
  • Begin talks with him to address the issues behind the hunger strike.
  • Engage with his demands for reforms in medical education and the health sector.

Hunger strike over health-sector reforms

Dr KC has been on hunger strike in Kathmandu for several days. Reports differ on whether he has completed four or five days, but they describe the fast as ongoing and his health as deteriorating. The reported duration underscores the urgency of the association’s appeal, while the precise number of days remains inconsistent across accounts.

His fast is intended to press for reforms in medical education and the wider health sector. The available information does not set out the individual policy changes he is seeking, but it makes clear that these issues are at the centre of the protest. The association has called for the government to address the situation through talks rather than allow the dispute to continue as his condition worsens.

Government response in focus

The joint statement puts responsibility on the government to respond promptly. By urging immediate engagement, the association is asking officials to open a channel for discussion and take the health concern seriously while the fast continues. Its intervention also gives a formal voice to calls for the authorities to address Dr KC’s demands, although the statement does not specify what outcome talks should produce.

For now, the key developments are the ongoing hunger strike, reports of Dr KC’s deteriorating health and the association’s demand for urgent government action. The association has called for talks as part of an immediate response; the reported information does not confirm whether discussions have begun or whether the government has announced a response.

The appeal from Rijal and Dawadi leaves the government facing two linked issues: the immediate concern for Dr KC’s life and the reforms he is seeking in medical education and the health sector. The association is calling for both to be addressed through prompt engagement, as the senior physician remains on hunger strike in Kathmandu.