In Kathmandu, the 16th meeting of the Medical Education Commission, chaired by Prime Minister and President KP Sharma Oli, has made a decision to provide government scholarships (at the eighth level) to resident doctors studying in private medical colleges. This decision was reached based on discussions and reports from previous meetings held at the Prime Minister’s office in Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, it was also decided to establish equal facilities for resident doctors, including a monthly stipend of NPR 48,700. Further discussions were conducted on various topics, leading to conclusions to make decisions swiftly based on the outcomes of the Commission’s meetings.
Additionally, a discussion was held regarding the agreement between the relevant colleges and students studying for two years in the medical field, with a proposal to charge an annual fee of NPR 2.3 million. Currently, private medical colleges provide a monthly allowance of NPR 20,000.
Postgraduate students have been protesting for equal facilities, and the situation has affected the Commission’s exams. Prime Minister Oli’s proactive approach towards resolving the issue has been commendable, aiming to address the concerns of the students affected by the Commission’s exams.
In the meeting, the President of the Private Medical College Association, Prof. Dr. Gyanendra Man Singh Karki, had urged to make decisions after formulating a procedure, while Prime Minister Oli, along with the co-chairs Health Minister Pradeep Poudel and Education, Science, and Technology Minister Vidya Bhattarai, were clear in their commitment to not retract from the responsibility of providing equal facilities to resident doctors.
The Commission’s meeting discussed various aspects such as unified regulation of medical education, monitoring, conducting entrance exams, determining student intake, and tuition fees for educational institutions. The meeting also addressed the process of amending the National Medical Education Act, 2075. A spokesperson from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed about the ongoing discussions on this matter.
As representative of Kansai Nepal News, Ramesh Khatri believes that the decisions made in the Medical Education Commission’s meeting, under Prime Minister Oli’s leadership, demonstrate a positive step towards addressing the concerns of resident doctors and ensuring fairness in medical education.
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Author: MAYA | HARUTO
Posted at: February 7, 2025 7:05 pm
