KATHMANDU: The 19th meeting of the Medical Education Commission, chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has decided that private medical colleges must provide an increased subsistence allowance to resident doctors, effective immediately.
Resident doctors have been urged to end their agitation and return to work and studies following the decision.
The commission had earlier, during its 16th meeting on Februray 7, decided that private medical colleges must pay a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs 48,737 to postgraduate (PG) resident doctors, equal to the amount provided in government institutions.
The meeting also accepted the report submitted by an 11-member task force formed to review the number of seats and fee structures for MBBS and BDS programs, considering demands made by private medical colleges.
The report was handed over by Dr. Deepak Kafle, Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, to Prime Minister Oli at a meeting held at Singha Durbar.
Based on the task force’s recommendations, the Commission has initiated the process to form a technical committee in accordance with the Medical Education Act, 2018.
The committee, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Sujan Babu Marhatta of the Commission’s Planning, Coordination and Academic Advancement Directorate, will work on setting standards and criteria for reviewing seat numbers and fees.
Other members of the committee include Prof. Dr. Divya Singh Shah, Senior Chartered Accountant Mahesh Guragain, Chartered Accountant Santosh Khanal representing private medical colleges, and Undersecretaries from the Ministries of Education, Health, and Finance.
The decision follows resistance from the Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges, which had earlier refused to match government subsistence allowances, citing uncertainty over funding. After three rounds of meetings led by Prime Minister Oli, the deadlock was resolved.
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