KATHMANDU: Medical Education activist Dr. Govinda KC has expressed his serious objection to the Medical Education Commission’s recommendation to increase the fees for MBBS and other programs.

In a statement issued on Sunday, KC said the increase in fees was unimaginable and unacceptable under any circumstances as the financial situation of students and parents was deplorable due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“As mentioned in the Medical Education Act, all medical colleges in the country should be non-profit within the next eight years, so the fees should be reduced gradually,” he said.

It should be noted that Prime Minister KP Oli had directed the Medical Education Commission not to increase the fee of medical education.

The Commission was however proposed the increase on fee by the fee determination taskforce.

In the Commission meeting on Friday, PM Oli had directed the officials to decrease the fee. The Commission had proposed the increase of the existing fees for the MBBS program by Rs 800 thousand.

The recommendation taskforce had forwarded recommendations on most of the subjects out of 17- BDS, MDMS, MDS Science, MD Ayurved, MN, MSC Nursing, M Pharma, MSc Medical Microbiology, MSc Basic Science, MPhil Clinical Psychology.

The meeting had formed a seven-member task force under the coordination of Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Krishna Gopal Shrestha to decide on the fee on the proposed medical subjects.

The taskforce has the members as Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi, Education Secretary Gopinath Mainali, Health Secretary Laxman Aryal, Member (Education) of National Planning Commission Dr. Usha Jha, Vice-Chairman of Medical Education Commission Dr. Krishna Giri, and its Member Secretary Dilliram Luitel.