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Medical students’ parents meet President, suggest solution
In spite of New Year wishes being displayed at the OPD at the National Hospital, this scene captures the plight of patients who had no redress to their ills when the GMOA went on strike on Friday over the SAITM issue. Pic by Indika Handuwala
There will be no new intern doctors passing out from state medical faculties to serve in a single state hospital across the country next year, if no immediate solution is brought about to the simmering crisis surrounding the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), health experts warn.
The warning came as the government issued a statement on its “position” with regard to SAITM on Friday and a delegation of parents of students of all eight state medical faculties met President Maithripala Sirisena to redress the situation by bringing about an urgent solution.
As the SAITM controversy reached a flashpoint, a large number of trade unions headed by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the Government Dental Surgeons’ Association went in procession on Friday from the National Hospital to the Fort Railway Station in protest over the issue of untrained medical graduates being introduced to the medical service.
Doctors including consultants from the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) downed their stethoscopes and only emergency services were available at state hospitals in a one-day token strike from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
“The government’s ‘position’ set out by the Higher Education Ministry is not a solution to the SAITM issue,” the President of the State Medical Students’ Colombo District Parents’ Forum, Nihal Gajasinghe, a retired Air Force officer, told the Sunday Times.
The government’s answer has been to take-over the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, but what of SAITM, he asked.
Reassured by the positive response of President Sirisena to their appeal to solve the SAITM issue in the one-hour meeting on Friday evening, Mr. Gajasinghe said they pointed out the need to abolish SAITM and stop new admissions forthwith.
They had handed over to President Sirisena, a set of proposals developed after extensive discussions with all stakeholders including the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Deans of the state medical faculties and also the state medical students.
The need of the hour is to urgently and firstly shut down SAITM, stop student enrolment immediately and withdraw degree-awarding status. These should be the first steps, he said.
Nihal Gajasinghe
Mr. Gajasinghe pointed out that thereafter a fair solution should be found for the SAITM students who are already there. Those who have completed the five years and sat the final examination should be given a reasonable training in government hospitals and asked to sit a licensing examination. The others already there should continue their education with the help of government hospitals under the supervision of the Deans of the state medical faculties.
President Sirisena had commended the fact that these proposals addressed not only the needs of children in the state medical faculties and the right of the public to safe medical care but would also be beneficial to the SAITM students. He had assured them that he would send these recommendations to the Higher Education Ministry and summon a meeting soon with all stakeholders including the SLMC and the UGC and this parents’ forum.
The parents, meanwhile, had pointed out that their children, who are not only the brightest minds but also the future doctors of Sri Lanka had been in ‘attala’ (huts) for nearly 420 days and not been attending lectures for more than three months. “They are protesting on behalf of the public, because the public is voiceless,” Mr. Gajasinghe said, speaking of the dangers of unleashing untrained medical practitioners from institutions such as SAITM on the people.
With around 800 members, the State Medical Students’ Parents Forum has representation from all districts, the SundayTimes learns, including senior professionals such as professors, consultant doctors, engineers and accountants. The state medical faculties currently have around 6,000 to 7,000 students.
“Our children are now in isolation, away from their books and training and having to curb their yearning to serve the public,” said Mr. Gajasinghe, adding that there are very real fears of the country descending into chaos like in 1988-89.The delegation of about 20 parents of students who met President Sirisena included representatives from each district.
Meanwhile, there was rejoicing among SAITM parents, students and management over the government’s ‘position’ announced on Friday, but there were protests among many others.
“The government has not provided a solution, but carried out an eye-wash,” said a senior doctor, pointing out that the take-over of the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital is not the answer.
Doctors on the march on Friday. Pic by Amila Gamage
On the day of the strike. Hambantota hospital and Polonnaruwa hospital. Pix by Rahul Samantha and Gamini Obeysekera
| Govt. decision on SAITM On Friday, a statement signed by the Higher Education Ministry Acting Secretary, Jayanthi Wijethunga, stated that the Government had taken the following decisions on the SAITM issue subject to the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). *SAITM students who have already passed the final MBBS examination will be given one-month each of clinical training in Surgery, Medicine, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Psychiatry and Paediatrics at the Homagama and Avissawella Hospitals. They will then undergo a mandatory examination conducted for the granting of provisional registration under the joint supervision of the SLMC and the University Grants Commission (UGC). *The Health Ministry will gazette the minimum standards for medical education in Sri Lanka submitted by the SLMC with the approval of the Attorney-General. *The Health Ministry will initiate proceedings to bring the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital under it and continue to run it as a Teaching Hospital. |
| Minimum standards for medical education The minimum standards for medical education have been drafted after extensive discussions and are likely to be circulated among the state medical faculties within the next two weeks for comment before being submitted to the Minister, the Sunday Times understands. |