SAITM issue: Deans denounce SB's "denigrating remarks"

Deans of Sri Lanka’s eight state medical faculties have taken strong umbrage over a claim by Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake that the facilities at some of the medical faculties are lower than that of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).

“We, the undersigned, are dismayed and disappointed about the detrimental remarks made recently by Mr. S.B. Dissanayake, former Minister of Higher Education, comparing the medical faculties of state universities with that of SAITM,” the Deans said in a joint statement.

Mr. Dissanayake who was the minister when degree-awarding status was granted to SAITM, waded into the controversy at a media conference on Tuesday where he said SAITM had better facilities than those at Rajarata, Batticaloa and Jaffna universities.

“Apprentice-type clinical training is the most important part of medical undergraduate training and all state medical faculties under the University Grants Commission (UGC) are able to provide this at a very high level,” the eight deans have stated in a joint statement issued on Friday, rejecting the “denigrating remarks made by Mr. Dissanayake on state medical faculties in this country”.

The statement was signed by Prof. Jennifer Perera, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo; Prof. Vajira Weerasinghe, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya; Prof. Sarath Lekamwasam, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna; Dr. S. Raviraj, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna; Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; Prof. Surangi Yasawardena, Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayawardanapura; Dr. A. Arulpragasam, Acting Dean, Faculty of Healthcare Sciences, Eastern University of Sri Lanka; and Prof. Sisira Siribaddana, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

Three weeks ago, the eight deans examined the SAITM controversy and made recommendations -- including the suspension of new admissions to SAITM until issues are sorted out -- to the Ministry of Higher Education.

The report to the ministry said admissions should not be allowed to resume until SAITM has obtained the compliance certificate from the Sri Lanka Medical Council.