Health Minister presses for mandatory implementation of MEC's decision

Kathmandu, May 2: Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel directed all the private medical colleges to provide increased monthly living allowance to private colleges' residential doctors on par with those in government colleges.     

The 19th meeting of the Medical Education Commission (MEC), convened on April 29 this year, decided that private medical colleges must provide the increased allowance (Rs 48,737 per month per head) to the residential doctors effective from February 7, when a decision in this regard was taken.     

In a meeting with the representatives of the Nepal Medical College (NMC) and Residential Doctors at the Ministry of Health and Population today, Minister Paudel maintained that the private colleges must obey the decision, otherwise, he warned that those colleges shall face the music.     

The Minister cautioned against taking draconian measures against those disobedient colleges, such as terminating all their businesses with the Ministry, including scrapping affiliation and stopping the payment of health insurance, among others, against those unruly colleges. "There is no 'if' and 'but' when it comes to implementing the decision!" he said.     

NMC's Chairperson, Dr Anil Bikram Karki, shared that some residential doctors of private colleges are currently receiving threats. He explained, "While many private colleges welcomed the residential doctors who were in protest while some were still threatening them with not allowing them to sit for the exam or rusticate them from colleges."     

He, thus, urged the Minister to create an enabling environment for them to safely return to their duties and studies.     

The 16th meeting of the MEC, chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, had directed the private colleges to pay living expenses for residential doctors pursuing MBBS on par with their counterparts in government colleges. (RSS)