GMOA awaits official communique from President over SAITM issue

The Govt. Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is expecting an official announcement from the President’s office with regard to the solution given to the SAITM issue. “Currently, we do not agree with the decision made because, we are not certain the decision was made by the President, until they officially convey it, as Minister Rajitha Senaratne or Minister Lakshman Kirella would have intervened,” said GMOA Spokesman Dr Nalinda Herath.

"After the official announcement, the GMOA would initiate a discussion on the issue with the President," he said, adding that, the Govt. is always making false declarations in this matter.

However, the SAITM said it welcomes the Govt.' s suggestion. "The SAITM will work closely with the relevant authorities on how best to take such a proposal forward," stated a SAITM Media release.

"SAITM will extend its fullest support to the Govt.' s efforts in maintaining the quality and standards of Medical education in Sri Lanka, while abiding by the laws of the country. SAITM will extend its fullest cooperation to the Govt. of Sri Lanka, in order to formalise a just and expeditious solution for its MBBS Graduates, subject to court proceedings."

President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday said the Govt.’s policy was to support non- State Universities, while giving priority to fully improve State universities and protect free education.

President Sirisena, addressing heads of media institutions and editors, explained that the SAITM issue would be solved by broad- basing its management, which is now a single ownership, and open it to the stock market by listing it with the Securities Exchange Commission.

He said, in addition to Govt. proposals submitted already, the Medical College will be governed by a council of professional administrators.

He said the solutions were based on a wide range of discussions held with parties and organisations including the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) who are related to the issue .

The President explained that between 75,000 to 80,000 students travel overseas for education, while, of the 125,000 that pass the A/ L exam, only 25,000 gain admission to State universities.

“In the past, only rich families were able to send their children for overseas education, but now, even average families send their children overseas by even mortgaging their houses,” he said.

The President said that one of the concerns of the IUSF was that, the fees were too high, and he hopes that issue will be addressed when a professional council for administration is introduced.

He said they have also directed the SAITM to increase its scholarships.

Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that, one of the solutions reached, following discussions with the Deans of the Medical Faculties was that, the SAITM students should sit a separate exam by the Sri Lanka Medical Council.

“The court order has held that, with the sitting of the final exam at SAITM, they should be registered, but the students are also willing to sit an SLMC exam," he said.

Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said, once proper guidelines have been established to administer SAITM, it would also be applicable to two other private Medical colleges proposed to be set up by Monash University of Australia and Manipal University of India.

Dr Senaratne said that Mr Neville Fernando, in May 2009, had written to the SLMC, informing they were planning to set up a Medical College and wanted to know the minimum standards to set up the Colelge.

The then SLMC President had replied saying they did not have prescribed standards but for them to go ahead and set up the College and they, the SLMC, will provide the prescribed standards.

"The SLMC's first mistake was that, they did not have prescribed standards, which they still do not have. All countries have minimums standards for Medical education. They did not even know the method to set the prescribed standards," he said.

"As a member of the Health Advisory Committee in Parliament, I pointed out that the US World Federation of Medical Education had prepared the world criteria and if we set our standards accordingly, our Degrees will be recognisd worldwide. Otherwise, other countries will not accept our Degrees. That is the reason we need prescribed standards, so that, our Degrees are recognized," he said.

He said that, in 2010, the SAITM wrote back to the SLMC, saying they were going for a twin programme with a Russian university, and sought approval. That is, to study there and return and to sit the ACT 16 exam, which has now been replaced by the EPRM, to qualify. The then SLMC President, Dr Lalitha Mendis advised not to go for the twin programme, but seek permission for a local Degree-awarding institution.

He said that a committee which inspected the SAITM earlier, had held that, except for Clinical Training facilities and the facilities for teaching Public Health and Forensic Medicine, all other aspects were satisfactory at the SAITM.

He said that, as an out- of- court settlement by the Health Ministry, the SAITM students were given Avissawella hospital for Forensic Medicine and Kaduwela hospital for Public Health.