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Strong responses from FFMTA & AMS
View(s):The Harsha de Silva Committee has attempted to propose a way out to salvage SAITM at any cost, states the Federation of Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association of Sri Lanka (FFMTA), stressing that statements in the report indicate “the failure to grasp the root cause of the issue and attempt to deviate from the main issue by misinterpreting it stating to resolve university students boycotting academic activities”.
Taking up the report point-by-point, the FFMTA has critically analyzed the report, while stating that the report does not indicate the committee’s Terms of Reference.
“We observe that the committee has deviated from the stated objective, as appeared in the media, i.e. finding a solution for the present crisis,” states the response of the FFMTA issued by its Convener Dr. Manuj C. Weerasinghe. (See full analysis on the web)
Meanwhile, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) has said that it is “not against” SLMC-approved fee-levying medical education in this country.
“Unfortunately, the current issue regarding standards of medical education in this country is entangled in a ‘complex legal web’ with ‘legal answers’,” says a statement issued by AMS President Dr. S.R. Wijayasinghe.
Urging that as all stakeholders agree (including members of the Dr Harsha de Silva Committee), “our immediate task is to find a way to re-start state medical education of this country”, the AMS requests that the solution is to implement the first proposal in the President’s statement of June 25 — suspend admission of new students to SAITM through a legally-binding mechanism until the proposed re-structuring is complete and approvals are granted for the degree programme according to legally empowered minimum standards (to be legalized soon) by the SLMC.
The AMS states that the next would be to suspend degree awarding status of SAITM until the SLMC recognizes its training programme based on legally-empowered Minimum Standards. “This should be done in an open, transparent manner through a legally binding mechanism as soon as possible.”
Taking up the 84 SAITM “graduates”, the AMS points out that no solution has been proposed for them by the committee, indicating that the matter is ‘sub-judice’. “Implement the solution proposed by the government in its press statement issued on May 15 (additional clinical training followed by a licentiate examination conducted by the SLMC),” according to the AMS. “If there is no legal provision to implement it, take measures to amend the Medical Ordinance as soon as possible.”
While addressing several other issues linked to the SAITM saga, the AMS says that the Harsha de Silva Committee report clearly shows the “duplicity” of legal thinking in favour of SAITM and also attempts to undermine the powers of the SLMC by introducing “new laws” to control the SLMC.
“We feel that it is much more practical to amend the necessary clauses in the existing Medical Ordinance than bringing a totally new Act to solve the legal issues of this problem. New legislation with so many stake holders would be a time consuming process,” the AMS states.
On future fee-levying medical education in the country, the AMS adds that a high-powered committee should be appointed by President Sirisena to discuss and decided on the matter.