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State medical faculty heads request students to resume studies
All students of the state medical faculties are being urged to return to their lectures immediately, with an assurance that the eight Deans of the state medical faculties have requested the Government to appoint the high-level committee as soon as possible to settle the issues linked to the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).
In a joint statement sent to Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella, through the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Deans have called on the government to declare, as soon as possible, the composition and the terms of reference of the Committee of high level officials to be appointed to coordinate the implementation of the measures recommended by the Presidential Committee.
“We urge the Government to ensure representation of the Higher Education, Health and Finance Ministries, the UGC, the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and all Deans of the state medical faculties on this committee,” they state.
Welcoming the statement issued on October 29 by the Director-General of the Department of Government Information on the solutions proposed by the Presidential Committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to solve the problems arising from SAITM’s Faculty of Medicine, the Deans have sent out an urgent appeal to the students in all the medical faculties to resume their academic activities immediately, since the Government’s statement declares that SAITM’s Faculty of Medicine will be abolished, with no further intake of students.
They have stated: “We note that the new entity that replaces SAITM will be required to obtain fresh approvals regarding degree-awarding status from the Higher Education Ministry and certification of conformity with legally approved Minimum Standards in Medical Education from the SLMC. We call on the government to declare, as soon as possible, the composition and the terms of reference of the Committee of high level officials to be appointed to coordinate the implementation of the measures recommended.
“We also urge that the position of the Government, as indicated in the press release of October 29, should be made known to the Supreme Court through the Attorney General’s Department, at the next hearing of the case filed by the SLMC, appealing against the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the case filed by a SAITM graduate against the SLMC.
“We trust that the undertakings of the Government and our recommendations will be honoured.”
Copies of the statement have been sent to President Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, National Policies and Economic Affairs Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva, Vice-Chancellors of the state universities and SLMC President Prof Colvin Goonaratna.
The statement has been signed by Prof. Jennifer Perera (Colombo Medical Faculty); Prof. Vajira Weerasinghe (Peradeniya Medical Faculty); Prof. Saman Wimalasundera (Ruhuna Medical Faculty); Dr. S. Raviraj (Jaffna Medical Faculty); Prof. Nilanthi de Silva (Ragama Medical Faculty); Prof. Surangi Yasawardena (Sri Jayewardenepura Medical Faculty); Dr. Angela Arulpragasam (Eastern Healthcare Sciences Faculty); and Prof. Sisira Siribaddana (Rajarata Medical Faculty).
| Medical faculty teachers and students not satisfied | |
| By Shaadya Ismail The Government’s proposals to settle the crisis over the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) have received mixed reactions. Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Sugathadasa said actions would be taken soon to implement the recommendations made by the presidential committee appointed to find a just solution to the crisis. According to the secretary, the Attorney General’s advice has been sought on working out the minimum standards for medial education and the award of degrees. The Gazette is expected to be issued before December 31. Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen De Soysa said the written order to abolish SAITM’s medical faculty a positive step. He said the Government had accepted that the SAITM medical faculty was a fraud and was not competent to award medical degrees. Dr. Soysa said President in consultation with the Sri Lankan Medical Council would find a solution for SAITM medical students. However an SLMC spokesman said it had not received any official request but had only got information through the media. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellors of State Universities have also issued a statement welcoming the solution. However, the Federation of the Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FFMTA) is not happy with the solution and wants medical education confined to the state sector. The Medical Faculty Students’ Action Committee Convener, Ryan Jayalath, also said little or nothing had changed with the new recommendations. “We are against institutions selling degrees to students,” he said.  A protest against SAITM held in Nuwara Eliya yesterday  The cry to abolish SAITM: A protest in Colombo last week . Pic by Amila Gamage |