Sacking of SLMC Vice President: Special council meeting to be convened at last

Sources say decision follows agitation by members

The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is due to hold a muchsought-after special council meeting on October 23, to discuss the sacking of its Vice President (VP) by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at the end of September on the pretext of “reconstituting” the board of this regulator.

The Sunday Times learns that soon after the removal of VP Prof. Jayantha Jayawardana, the Minister had appointed Dr. D.K.D. Mathew, a General Practitioner, as a “member” of the SLMC with immediate effect by a letter dated September 27, 2023. Dr. Mathew is President of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka.

However, sources said that it was unclear whether the SLMC has appointed a VP to fill the vacancy created by the termination of the tenure of Prof. Jayawardana. He was also Chairman of the SLMC’s Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC) and Audit Committee as well as member of the Management Committee and Legislative Committee.

SLMC sources said it was after much agitation by council members that SLMC President Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake had decided to hold this special council meeting.

There was also concern that while the SLMC President was on frequent visits abroad, no one had been nominated to stand in for him.

“Neither have the vacancies of the PPC and Audit Committee chairs been filled,” said another source, adding that it would impact on the functioning of the SLMC.

Meanwhile, requests from council members to the SLMC President and the Registrar for the alleged letter that the Minister claimed he had received from the SLMC President seeking the termination of Prof. Jayawardana’s tenure, has not been produced yet, a source said. The Minister made this claim at a media briefing held on October 2 at the Health Ministry auditorium.

There was also concern that while the SLMC President was on frequent visits abroad, no one had been nominated to stand in for him