SAITM strike delays Medical Faculties' admissions

Adelay in admissions to the Medical Faculties of all State Universities is expected in view of the undergraduates' ongoing strike over the SAITM issue.

This has prompted the University Grants Commission ( UGC) to appeal to the undergraduates' parents to get their children to return to lectures, enabling the universities to function.

UGC Chairman Prof Mohan de Silva told Education Times that the ongoing strike, in addition to its impact on the present undergraduates, will also impact on the pending admissions as well.

Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that negotiations to launch 5 private Medical Colleges too, are on hold in view of the protests.

Undergraduates of 8 Medical Faculties are currently on strike for more than a month, demanding the Government to provide an early solution to the SAITM issue.

While most of the other Faculties have been functioning in accordance with their academic calendar, only the functions of the Medical Faculties have been disrupted.

Sri Lanka currently produces between 1,000 t0 1,200 doctors but, as a result of the strike, in addition to new admissions, the passing out of doctors too will be held up.

Convenor of the Medical Faculty Student Action Committee, Rayan Jayalath told the Education Times that the boycott of lectures will impact on the appointments of intern doctors in addition to the delay in admissions.

"Even if the new batch is admitted, the exams of the previous batches should be held and therefore, it is bound to create complications," he said.

"We have alerted the university authorities about the issues, but they have chosen to ignore our warnings," he said.

Mr Jayalath said the UGC was trying to pressure them to return to lectures, without resolving the main issue.

Convenor of the Inter University Students Federation, Lahiru Weerasekara said they fully support the Medical Faculty undergraduates' actions, while some of the lecturers too were backing the campaign. Damith Wickremasekara