Why Dr Govinda KC Is Risking His Health for Nepal’s Medical System—Again

Another Indefinite Fast Begins

Senior orthopaedic surgeon and medical-education reform campaigner Dr Govinda KC is set to begin his 24th indefinite hunger strike at 3 pm on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at the Krishna Temple Dharamshala in Dhangadhi’s LN Chowk. He says he is taking the step because the government failed to respond by his July 21 deadline and has continued to ignore demands concerning medical-education quality, public healthcare, transparent appointments and earlier agreements.

Government Misses His Deadline

Dr KC had given the government until Tuesday, July 21, to address his concerns. After receiving no satisfactory response, he travelled from Darchula to Dhangadhi on Wednesday evening and stayed at the Krishna Temple rest house, where he planned to launch the protest the following afternoon.

In a statement issued on his behalf, Dr KC accused the government of showing complete indifference to demands that he says are directly connected to citizens’ right to healthcare and the protection of quality medical education. He warned that the government would bear responsibility for any serious consequences arising during the fast.

Disputed Medical Appointments

At the centre of the latest protest are appointments made at the Medical Education Commission and the Shahid Dasharath Chand University of Health Sciences. Dr KC claims that some appointments violated established procedures and created conflicts of interest, and he wants them cancelled alongside amendments to disputed legal provisions governing the institutions.

His criticism has particularly focused on the appointment process for the vice-chairperson of the Medical Education Commission. The government appointed retired Nepali Army Major General Devendra Khatri to the position on July 7, but Dr KC alleges that the selection lacked transparency and placed an individual with a predetermined agenda and possible conflicts of interest in charge of an important regulatory institution. These remain Dr KC’s allegations.

Scholarships And Private College Seats

Dr KC is demanding the immediate cancellation of proposals to reduce scholarship places offered through the Medical Education Commission. He argues that scholarship-trained doctors and health workers play an important role in staffing Nepal’s rural health facilities and that reducing such opportunities would particularly harm students from low-income families.

At the same time, he opposes plans to increase fee-paying seats at private medical, dental and nursing colleges that have not demonstrated sufficient infrastructure, teaching staff, patient flow or other required standards. He warns that allowing more admissions without first ensuring quality could weaken medical training and ultimately damage patient care.

Call For Non-Profit Medical Education

Another central demand is the implementation of provisions under the National Medical Education Act that envision turning medical education into a fully non-profit sector. Dr KC says the government has made little meaningful progress towards that objective and continues to allow commercial interests to influence medical education and healthcare policymaking.

He is also demanding that the government implement all written agreements reached with him during his previous hunger strikes. His repeated protests have often ended with formal commitments from successive governments, but he maintains that many of those promises remain incomplete or unfulfilled.

Sudurpashchim And Border Communities

Dr KC has called for major improvements in healthcare, education, transport and employment opportunities in Sudurpashchim Province and other border areas. He says residents should not be forced to depend on neighbouring India for essential treatment, education, jobs and basic services that should be available within Nepal.

He argues that expanding hospitals, educational institutions, roads and employment infrastructure in these regions is not only a development issue but also a question of citizens’ rights and national dignity.

Justice For Violence And Corruption

Dr KC’s demands now extend beyond medical reform. He has called for strong legal action against those responsible for killings, arson, robbery and destruction during the events of September 8 and 9, 2025, which Nepali media have linked to the previous year’s Gen Z protests.

He has also demanded impartial investigations into corruption and criminal allegations involving senior politicians and public officials who have held powerful positions since Nepal’s 1990 democratic movement. Anyone found responsible, he says, should face prosecution regardless of political position or influence.

Why This Strike Matters

This is not simply another disagreement over one appointment or one government decision. Dr KC’s protest brings together long-running questions about whether medical regulators can remain independent, whether scholarships will continue opening opportunities for poorer students, whether private colleges are expanding faster than quality controls, and whether rural citizens can receive essential services close to home.

His decision to begin a 24th hunger strike also reflects a deeper failure of trust. After years of protests, negotiations and written agreements, Dr KC says he once again sees fasting as his only remaining way to pressure the state into acting.

Government Response Remains Unclear

Reports published before the planned start of the hunger strike did not identify a detailed government response to all five demands or announce formal negotiations with Dr KC’s representatives. The immediate question is whether authorities will open talks before his health begins to deteriorate or allow another medical-reform dispute to escalate into a national crisis.