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Millions
in medical school muddle Local students
have been enrolled at VEF, India through a Sri Lankan official,
Olga Herath, who runs the local branch and co-ordinates with the
Indian institution for undergraduate courses in medicine. According
to parents, the local co-ordinator had claimed that the medical
school came under the International Medical and Technological University
in Tanzania (IMTU). However, the setting up of this medical school
in Sri Lanka now, to conduct pre-clinical studies of one and half
years of the five-year course, has raised questions with the Sri
Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) refusing to recognise the pre clinical
course. Dr. Shirley
Herath, who assists his wife Olga, to run the school in Piliyandala
and who has been involved in sending local students to VEF in India
in previous years, denied charges about the school. One parent
told The Sunday Times her son had to return from VEF, India after
one and half months, because they could not make the full payment.
"We paid US $ 3000 initially, but they wanted the full payment
of US $ 26,000. Since we couldn't pay it in total, they sent my
son back. They promised to refund the payment deducting the fee
for one and half months when we requested, but we have not received
any money still". She said her son was sent to India in 2000,
but two years after his return,the authorities were still only promising
to refund the money. Giving a description
of VEF in India she said, "When I accompanied my son, we were
taken around to see the lab facilities, lodging etc. and there was
hardly any infrastructure available. The lab had only a skull and
some tubes, while Dr. Herath's son who accompanied us said they
were constructing the place". She also claimed that the boarding
houses had no cupboards or beds and parents had to pay an extra
US $ 200 to make available even those basic facilities. Reportedly
there had been some 30 Sri Lankan students with her son that year. Another mother,
who had paid the full course fee of US $ 26,000 in 2000, says she
hardly knew what's going at the medical school in India. "My
son is not able to say much and I want to get him back, but what
about the large sum of money that we have already paid. It's two
years since we enrolled him and we fear they will do something if
we ever protest against this institute". The Sunday
Times learns that the SLMC -the national governing body for medical
ethics, recognition of degrees and related matters-had received
scores of complaints from parents about similar situations and the
status of the school here. The MBBS degree,
awarded by the IMTU in Tanzania is recognised by the SLMC , but
the pre-clinical part of about one and half years conducted here
has not been recognised. "The first
one and half years is part of the five year course and therefore
should be recognised by the Medical Council. A student who does
the entire course in Tanzania is eligible to apply for approval
of his degree and registration with the SLMC," Medical Council
President Prof. H.H. R.Samarasinghe said. He said the part of the
course conducted in Sri Lanka could be recognised only after the
requirements of the SLMC were met. The non recognition
of the VEF, Piliyandala has produced a bitter pill, with apparent
friction between the SLMC and the school. Recent attacks
on the SLMC and its administrators have sparked speculation that
VEF officials may possibly be linked to the incidents. The SLMC
had refused to recognise the-pre clinical course here citing lack
of data and the failure to invite the Medical Council for inspection
to give its approval. On Friday, SLMC Vice President Dr. Ananda
Samarasekera said recent incidents where the Registrar's house was
fired at, the grenade attack on Prof. Samarasinghe's house and the
attempt to set fire to the SLMC office with petrol were unprecedented
attacks on the SLMC. Dr. Samarasekera
said the SLMC had reason to believe that the VEF may be linked to
the spate of attacks, because the SLMC had received letters of intimidation
purportedly form the VEF officials. According to
Dr. Samarasinghe whose house at Dharmapala Mawatha came under a
grenade attack last Saturday, the Council received a letter from
the BOI calling for its comments on a proposal forwarded by the
Indian counterpart to set up VEF in Sri Lanka. The BOI in
its letter stated that an application had been received to set up
a training institute in Information Technology and Para Medical
courses in addition to lecture courses for year one of the Undergraduate
Medical course. Later the BOI had given approval to the project. The SLMC in
its response had stated that the school should send an application
of its own with the required details to the Council for recognition.
In addition
to studying the curriculum, the SLMC informed the officials that
it had to visit the school and to inform them when the institution
was complete and furnished with the required equipment and infrastructure. However, no
invitation to visit the school has been extended until today. Dr.
Herath is denying charges that he or his associates were involved
in the attacks on the SLMC. He also claimed that his institution
in Piliyandala had SLMC recognition. "The SLMC has given approval
and we have already started the medical courses," he said.
The VEF in Piliyandala would be conducting medical, para medical and IT courses, Dr. Herath said, adding that the IT courses were yet to begin. Twelve students have already enrolled for the medical course, which is at a cost of US $ 30,000. After the first two years in Sri Lanka, students will complete the remaining years in Tanzania, he said. When asked why the SLMC had not been invited for inspection, Dr. Herath said he was hoping to write to them soon. However, the recent incidents have prompted him to file a lawsuit against the SLMC for allegedly tarnishing the name of the school. "I have already sent them a letter and I am hoping to file a law suit claiming Rs. 50 million as damages".
The Sri Lanka
Medical Association at a meeting on the theme 'Doctors and Human
Rights' worked out various steps to bring about more awareness among
the people and empower the patients. It was proposed that these
extensive awareness and education programmes could be conducted
by doctors through schools, religious institutions and other public
bodies. It was pointed out that in primary health care there were 18 basic rights facilities and privileges that all people should enjoy but many in Sri Lanka were not even aware of them and others were denied the benefits like safe water, sanitation and nutrition. Several doctors
pointed out that Sri Lanka's public health service - though plagued
by a lack of funds and drawbacks such as floor patients - provided
free health care to more than 90% of Sri Lankans and new steps should
be taken to protect and strengthen the public health service. Statistics
have shown that in the cases of warded patients private hospitals
cater to only about 8 % of the population while more than 90% of
the people go to public hospitals. The doctors called on the government
to review this situation and significantly increase the funds for
public health services while also making available more specialists
and modern equipment to district hospitals. It was also
proposed that a new mechanism be worked out to streamline the referral
process. At present thousands of people are misinformed to go directly
to consultant specialists often resulting in a waste of time and
money if not something worse for the patient. Many developed countries
have an effective process whereby the patient first goes to the
family doctor or the general practitioner at the nearest public
hospital.or the dispensary. That physician will examine the patient
and decide whether the ailment could be treated at the primary level
or whether the patient may be having something serious like a heart
problem which should be referred to a consultant. They call for
a process whereby the decision to see a specialist would be taken
by the local physician after examination and not by the patients.
There was wide agreement among doctors that regular arbitrary strikes by doctors or other health workers often amounted to a serious violation of the human rights of patients. They called for a new process of arbitration whereby any grievances of doctors or other health workers would be referred to an independent body which would give a binding ruling as done by Labour Tribunals. Proposals regarding the provision of quality drugs at affordable prices, the prescription of drugs under generic or low cost though good quality brand names and more advocacy of patients' rights by doctors were also made. Doctor Eugene Corea, convenor of the meeting said they hoped to gradually evolve a health service model where the welfare and well-being of the patient would get top priority and where there would be continuing empowerment of the patient.
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