SAITM: Govt. agrees to immediately halt admission of new students to Medical Faculty

High powered committee in joint statement slams process and sequence of events since March 2008 in which SAITM was approved to undertake medical education Points out among other things compliance certificate from SLMC a must before admissions begin

The Government has agreed to immediately suspend new admissions at the medical faculty of the controversial South Asian Institute of Technology & Medicine (SAITM), based on a series of proposals by a high-powered committee of professors.

The group, Deans of the Medical Faculties of Sri Lanka’s eight state universities, had recommended that “… recruitment of students to the MBBS degree programme and admission of new students should be halted with immediate effect. Admissions should not be allowed to recommence until SAITM has obtained the compliance certificate from the SLMC (Sri Lanka Medical Council)”.

The decision, the Sunday Times learns, came during meetings the Deans had with Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe, Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella and officials this week.

In an in-depth look at the SAITM issue on which they have issued a Joint Statement, the Deans slammed the process and sequence of events since March 2008 in which SAITM was approved to undertake medical education, stating: “The sequence of events makes it clear that there were many irregularities, if not outright deception of the public, in the manner in which the SAITM medical degree programme was established.”

At meetings with the PM and the Minister at which University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. Mohan de Silva and his deputy Prof. P.S.M. Gunaratne were also present, the other key decision was for the Government to work out a new structure at SAITM with major state representation for the decision-making process with regard to the admission of students and the conduct of the degree programme and examinations, while changing the Neville Fernando “Teaching” Hospital (owned by SAITM) to a governmental or semi-governmental hospital.

The group in its recommendations, a copy of which was exclusively obtained by the Sunday Times in addition to the paper reporting last week that the Deans were studying this issue, had a very significant paragraph titled ‘ Declarations of conflict of interest’. It said: “We declare that none of us have taught or examined medical students at SAITM, nor do we have a spouse, son or daughter, who has taught or is teaching or has been a medical student at SAITM.”

It was an obvious reference to accusations in the past that the campaign to formalise SAITM, which received government approvals under an irregular and controversial process, was largely by powerful politicians and also medical specialists who were either teaching at SAITM on retirement and/or whose children were students there.

The group comprised Prof. Jennifer Perera, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo; Prof. Vajira Weerasinghe, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya; Prof. Sarath Lekamwasan, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna; Dr. S. Raviraj, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna; Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; Prof. Surangi Yasawardena, Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura; Dr. A. Arulpragasam, acting Dean, Faculty of Healthcare Sciences, Eastern University of Sri Lanka; and Prof Sisira Siribaddana, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

The Deans said in their statement that they undertook the exercise of examining long-term solutions due to ‘grave concern’ over protests by medical students across the country over SAITM and to prevent the development of a situation similar to the 1980s when the crisis over another private medical faculty, the North Colombo Medical College, led to the closure of all universities at the time.

The 13-page report detailed the sequence of events from March 2008 when the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka granted approval to the Dr. Neville Fernando Investment Co (Pvt) Ltd to establish the South Asian Institute of Technology and Management (SAITM), offering degree programmes in IT, Management & Finance, Engineering, Vocational Studies, Nursing, Languages and Health Science, and the name-change to ‘South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine’ in 2011.

It said “As of now, SAITM has not obtained the compliance certification from the specified professional body, which is the SLMC in the case of degrees in Medicine.”

The Deans said their recommendations and observations were based on four ‘cardinal principles’: That all degree programmes offered by any higher education institute must comply with the requirements of the relevant professional body, particularly so in the case of medical degree programmes; expansion of medical education opportunities in Sri Lanka must be based on national health policies; strong regulations must be enacted assuring the quality of these higher education programmes offered both in the public and private sectors; and the need for expansion in opportunities for higher education (including medical education) in Sri Lanka, through both public and private sectors.

The report said: “A just and equitable solution to the SAITM issue must provide answers to the following questions while abiding by the principles enunciated above:

1) Should the SAITM Medical Faculty be permitted to continue functioning in the long term, and if so, on what basis?

2) If it is different to the current basis, what relief can be given to students currently registered for the SAITM MBBS degree?

3) What is the best means of ensuring patient rights and safety in the context of