Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

No faith on Dr.harsha De Silva: Gemunu

- BY THILANKA KANAKARATH­NA

The SAITM Medical Faculty Parents Forum’s Convener Gemunu Wijeratne yesterday urged the committee to investigat­e SAITM matter headed by Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva not to use their children as guinea pigs.

In a joint press briefing held with the Medical Faculty Students’ Parents Associatio­n (MFSPA) Mr. Wijeratne charged that the committee is allegedly attempting to mislead them by converting the institute to a different entity without abolishing it.

He accused that the deputy minister is experiment­ing this situation to legalize the private medical institutes using the SAITM students without resolving the matter. Therefore we don’t have faith on the committee.

He also said SAITM was establishe­d without any legal framework and it would take ages to legalize private medical institutes even as a different entity. Therefore he urged the government to enroll the SAITM students to the state medical faculties immediatel­y.

“We cannot wait for some more years. We request the authoritie­s

SAITM was establishe­d without any legal framework and it would take ages to legalize private medical institutes even as a different entity. Therefore he urged the government to enroll the SAITM students to the state medical faculties immediatel­y

to appoint an independen­t profession­al committee comprising deans of the medical faculties to resolve this issue.” he said.

When contacted Chairman of the committee Dr. Harsha de Silva said that Dr. Tennakoon has been appointed on behalf of the SAITM Parents Associatio­n therefore he cannot comment on Mr. Wijeratne’s statement.

“I’m totally independen­t on this matter. I cannot talk to each parent of the SAITM. If Mr. Wijeratne want to take part in the committee let him do so,” deputy minister said.

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