INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, November 5
Protesting against exorbitant fees charged by medical colleges, students staged demonstration in the capital today
demanding that the extra fees taken from them be returned at the earliest.
Agitating students have demanded government intervention to
ensure that all the medical colleges returned the extra fees.
Students from Chitwan Medical College, Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa,
and National Medical College, Birgunj, have jointly staged protest in the capital as medical colleges refused to return the extra fees
Government had given a month ultimatum to return the extra charges.
Protesting against exorbitant fees charged against the government rule,
the Medical Education Struggle Committee had organised a demonstration earlier in Chitwan.
Students of Chitwan Medical College had ended
their protest with the signing of an agreement with the college authorities on September 21, at District Administration Office, Chitwan.
A
meeting was held at Chitwan District Administration Office between college students and college administrators.
The agreement stated that
either the college would return the extra fees taken from students or adjusted the fees by November 4.
&But they have neither returned our
money nor have they adjusted the fees yet
We are here to exert pressure on both the medical colleges and the government to address our demands,& said a student, who had arrived in
the capital today morning from Chitwan to take part in the protest
&The government should ensure us that there is a rule of law in the country
Our protest is not targeted at any individual or any particular organisation, but it is against anomalies and irregularities in the medical
education sector,& said Prakash Chand, co-ordinator of the Medical Education Struggle Committee.
Medical education and medical services
should be accessible to all the Nepalis
Students living in remote areas have also the right to dream of being a doctor, Chand added.
&Decision taken by the government regarding
medical fees should be implemented.
Then only we can feel that there is a rule of law in the country,& Chand added
Students also demanded that the life of Dr Govinda KC, besaved
Dr KC has begun his 17th hunger strike in Dadeldhura district from yesterday, demanding that anomalies and irregularities prevalent in
medical colleges be stopped and the extra fees taken from the students be returned.
The government had fixed Rs 3.85 million for MBBS
programme in Kathmandu valley and Rs 4.24 million for students pursuing MBBS studies outside Kathmandu valley, in the last fiscal.
Fees for
Bachelor in Dental Surgery was fixed at Rs 1.93 million in the last fiscal
The colleges, however, had charged Rs 12 to 15 lakh extra from students.
The government, earlier, had increased the fees for MBBS and BDS
programmes for this fiscal
As per the revised fee structure, a Nepali student pursuing MBBS inside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.02 million for a
five-and-a-half-year course and students pursuing MBBS outside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.44 million.
The post Medical students
seek refund of extra fee appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
