‘SAITM Graduates Unqualified To Treat The Sick ’ - SLMC
by Nirmala Kannangara
President, Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), Prof . Carlo Fonseka is adamant that Medical Council registration would not be given to students who have passed out from the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM ). Prof . Fonseka who is a reputed medical specialist said that he does not want to give SLMC recognition to those who have not followed proper clinical training and thus put the patient' s life at risk .
Sri Lanka Medical Council is the body that regulates the professional standards of doctors and maintains standards of medical education in the country. In such a backdrop, Prof . Fonseka says he fails to see why the courts together with the Health Ministry and the University Grants Commission want to grant SLMC recognition to a group of students who are supposed to have obtained the 'MBBS ' qualification from an institution that has failed to provide quality education and clinical training to its students.
" Those who have vested interests could get me removed from the post of President SLMC and get their intentions worked out . But as a medical specialist who has always worked for the betterment of the patients, I do not want untrained 'doctors ' to take care of the sick , " Prof . Fonseka said .
According to Prof . Fonseka , the SLMC appointed a high- powered , ten member team of medical doctors to visit SAITM and give a report to the Medical Council about the institution and how students are trained .
" The report stated that the students have not received proper and adequate clinical training . Clinical training is the vital part in medical science . SAITM provided clinical training at Neville Fernando Hospital which does not have sufficient patients to give students the proper clinical training that a medical student requires . Clinical trainingis not gained through books but through experience , " Prof . Fonseka said .
As a result of inadequate clinical training, the ten- member medical team in their report states that the medical students are not competitive enough to look after the sick . " I as the President of SLMC, will not give our registration to these students for the safety of the patients. May be these students are hard - working but we cannot take chances , " Prof . Fonseka added.
According to Prof . Fonseka , the SLMC had given two weeks notice to SAITM about its plan to send a team of doctors to inspect the facilities provided to students to undergo a proper training course but added that he was dismayed at how SAITM still failed to comply with the requirements the SLMC had sought .
" They undertook this assignment on July 13 , 14 and 15 2015 and submitted the report later. Under Section 19 of the Medical Ordinance, we took the decision not to give these students the SLMC registration , " Prof . Fonseka said.
The medical team comprised Prof . RezviSherif (Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , Colombo ), Prof . Nilanthi de Silva (Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Kelaniya ), Prof . Vasantha Gunathunge (Professor of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , Colombo ), Prof . K . Sivapalan (Professor in Psychology , Faculty of Medicine Jaffna ), Prof . RanjaniGamage (Neurologist ), Prof . Ranil Fernando (Surgeon, Medical Faculty, Kelaniya ), Dr. D. J . C . Perera (Child Specialist), Dr. HemanthaPerera (Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist), Dr. L . B .L . de Alwis (Rtd . Judicial Medical Officer ) and Dr. H .M .S . S . B . Herath (Expert in Community Medicine ).
Prof . Fonseka further said that it is controversial as most of the examiners that evaluated the final MBBS examination were carried out by either the parents of the last batch or parents of different batches at SAITM and well-wishers .
" Of the 24 students that sat for the final MBBS examination, 19 had got through. When SAITM sent their pass list to SLMC seeking their registration , the Medical Council replied claiming that these students cannot be registered due to the reasons given by the team of doctors who went on an inspectional tour last year. SAITM then sent a letter of demand to the Council Registrar. We are not scared of litigation as we cannot put the sick in trouble by allowing untrained doctors to take care of them, " Prof . Fonseka said.From its very inception, SAITM duped students and parents claiming that the degree is recognised by SLMC and in UK , that students will be given clinical training in government hospitals , that SLMC recognition will be given to the ERPM examination, that SLMC will monitor the courses for compliance with the standard according to the law on recognition , that it is affiliated to Nizhny Novgorod State Academy of Medicine , Russian Federation , professors from state medical faculties and that the degree is recognised in any part of the world .
" The degree is neither recognised by the UK nor the SLMC, the students are not allowed to sit for the ERPM examination, the degree offered was not monitored by the SLMC for compliance with the standard according to the law on recognition and the Russian government had not given registration to SAITM to grant the medical qualification of Doctor of Medicine (MD ) of the Nizhny Novgorod State Academy of Medicine in Russia (NNSAM) or transfer the students of SAITM to the NNSAM in Russia, " a member of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said on condition of anonymity .
Meanwhile, the GMOA has raised concern as to why parents of future doctors still prefer to enroll their children in an institution that has misinterpreted information and deceived parents, the Board of Investment (BOI ) and the Health Ministry from its inception .
" The report that was presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 22 , 2012 by the five - member committee comprising former Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Ravindra Ruberu , former Deputy Director General Education, Training and Research Health Ministry Dr H. R. U. Indrasiri, Prof . Jayantha Jayawardena, Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine , Dr PalithaAbeykoon, former Director, World Health Organisation and Ms A. R. Ahamed , Legal Officer Health Ministry, clearly states how SAITM has distorted information in order to obtain the BOI approval."
According to the report the application submitted to the BOI by Chairman SAITM Dr Neville Fernando on March 17 , 2008 seeking approval, the BOI had granted approval on March 31 , 2008 subject to certain conditions .
" Although conditions number five and nine of the BOI letter was that the enterprise should obtain approval from the Ministry of Health (MOH ) prior to providing training in health science and SAITM is permitted to offer degrees only after affiliating to a recognised foreign university , neither of these two conditions have been complied with before commencing the course, " claimed the GMOA.
The report further states that although Dr. Neville Fernando in a letter dated May 21 , 2008 to the BOI informing that he has made representations to the Health Minister , SLMC, and University Grants Commission (UGC ), only the letters written by Dr. Neville Fernando was attached but not the responses of the MOH , UGC and SLMC.
Although SAITM signed the agreement with BOI on October 1 , 2008 the five member committee observes that two batches have been admitted by then without obtaining approval from the MOH and the SLMC.
The committee report observations meanwhile state that even after the newspaper announcement of Health Ministry Secretary advising SAITM to suspend the enrolment of new students to the MBBS degree until the MOH resolve the issues, SAITM still has placed a public advertisement to enroll students for the next batch .
It also states that in the absence of an effective date in the gazette notification on August 30 , 2011 granting the degree awarding status to SAITM, it is to be treated that the Higher Education Ministry had offered the degree awarding status prospectively .
" The report further states that SAITM has acknowledged that they had admitted two students who did not meet the current SLMC admission criteria and SAITM have ensured that this would not be repeated. However we have details that not only two, there are more than who have not met the SLMC admission criteria. Even the UGC have informed the five - member committee that it is not possible to accommodate the four batches recruited before the gazette notification and also does not have any provision legally to approve any offshore campus of Nishny Novogorod State Medical Academy (NNSMA ) in Sri Lanka. If so what will happen to the students of these four batches who cannot sit for the ERPM and what does SAITM have to say about it? Knowing all these it is surprising as to how parents keep on enrolling their children to a fake university , " claimed the GMOA.
Though SAITM has repeatedly stated over the years that they have obtained Health Ministry approval to construct their Teaching Hospital at Malabe, according to Dr. KanthiAriyaratne , Director, Private Health Sector Division , Ministry of Health , SAITM has neither received Health Ministry approval for the Teaching Hospital nor have forwarded a project proposal to the Ministry. According to Dr. Ariyaratne , the approval SAITM is talking about is the clearance they have got from the Provincial Health Director Dr. Harsha de Silva but not from the Health Ministry.
Sri Lanka Medical Council is the body that regulates the professional standards of doctors and maintains standards of medical education in the country. In such a backdrop, Prof . Fonseka says he fails to see why the courts together with the Health Ministry and the University Grants Commission want to grant SLMC recognition to a group of students who are supposed to have obtained the 'MBBS ' qualification from an institution that has failed to provide quality education and clinical training to its students.
" Those who have vested interests could get me removed from the post of President SLMC and get their intentions worked out . But as a medical specialist who has always worked for the betterment of the patients, I do not want untrained 'doctors ' to take care of the sick , " Prof . Fonseka said .
According to Prof . Fonseka , the SLMC appointed a high- powered , ten member team of medical doctors to visit SAITM and give a report to the Medical Council about the institution and how students are trained .
" The report stated that the students have not received proper and adequate clinical training . Clinical training is the vital part in medical science . SAITM provided clinical training at Neville Fernando Hospital which does not have sufficient patients to give students the proper clinical training that a medical student requires . Clinical trainingis not gained through books but through experience , " Prof . Fonseka said .
As a result of inadequate clinical training, the ten- member medical team in their report states that the medical students are not competitive enough to look after the sick . " I as the President of SLMC, will not give our registration to these students for the safety of the patients. May be these students are hard - working but we cannot take chances , " Prof . Fonseka added.
According to Prof . Fonseka , the SLMC had given two weeks notice to SAITM about its plan to send a team of doctors to inspect the facilities provided to students to undergo a proper training course but added that he was dismayed at how SAITM still failed to comply with the requirements the SLMC had sought .
" They undertook this assignment on July 13 , 14 and 15 2015 and submitted the report later. Under Section 19 of the Medical Ordinance, we took the decision not to give these students the SLMC registration , " Prof . Fonseka said.
The medical team comprised Prof . RezviSherif (Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , Colombo ), Prof . Nilanthi de Silva (Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Kelaniya ), Prof . Vasantha Gunathunge (Professor of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , Colombo ), Prof . K . Sivapalan (Professor in Psychology , Faculty of Medicine Jaffna ), Prof . RanjaniGamage (Neurologist ), Prof . Ranil Fernando (Surgeon, Medical Faculty, Kelaniya ), Dr. D. J . C . Perera (Child Specialist), Dr. HemanthaPerera (Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist), Dr. L . B .L . de Alwis (Rtd . Judicial Medical Officer ) and Dr. H .M .S . S . B . Herath (Expert in Community Medicine ).
Prof . Fonseka further said that it is controversial as most of the examiners that evaluated the final MBBS examination were carried out by either the parents of the last batch or parents of different batches at SAITM and well-wishers .
" Of the 24 students that sat for the final MBBS examination, 19 had got through. When SAITM sent their pass list to SLMC seeking their registration , the Medical Council replied claiming that these students cannot be registered due to the reasons given by the team of doctors who went on an inspectional tour last year. SAITM then sent a letter of demand to the Council Registrar. We are not scared of litigation as we cannot put the sick in trouble by allowing untrained doctors to take care of them, " Prof . Fonseka said.From its very inception, SAITM duped students and parents claiming that the degree is recognised by SLMC and in UK , that students will be given clinical training in government hospitals , that SLMC recognition will be given to the ERPM examination, that SLMC will monitor the courses for compliance with the standard according to the law on recognition , that it is affiliated to Nizhny Novgorod State Academy of Medicine , Russian Federation , professors from state medical faculties and that the degree is recognised in any part of the world .
" The degree is neither recognised by the UK nor the SLMC, the students are not allowed to sit for the ERPM examination, the degree offered was not monitored by the SLMC for compliance with the standard according to the law on recognition and the Russian government had not given registration to SAITM to grant the medical qualification of Doctor of Medicine (MD ) of the Nizhny Novgorod State Academy of Medicine in Russia (NNSAM) or transfer the students of SAITM to the NNSAM in Russia, " a member of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said on condition of anonymity .
Meanwhile, the GMOA has raised concern as to why parents of future doctors still prefer to enroll their children in an institution that has misinterpreted information and deceived parents, the Board of Investment (BOI ) and the Health Ministry from its inception .
" The report that was presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 22 , 2012 by the five - member committee comprising former Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Ravindra Ruberu , former Deputy Director General Education, Training and Research Health Ministry Dr H. R. U. Indrasiri, Prof . Jayantha Jayawardena, Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine , Dr PalithaAbeykoon, former Director, World Health Organisation and Ms A. R. Ahamed , Legal Officer Health Ministry, clearly states how SAITM has distorted information in order to obtain the BOI approval."
According to the report the application submitted to the BOI by Chairman SAITM Dr Neville Fernando on March 17 , 2008 seeking approval, the BOI had granted approval on March 31 , 2008 subject to certain conditions .
" Although conditions number five and nine of the BOI letter was that the enterprise should obtain approval from the Ministry of Health (MOH ) prior to providing training in health science and SAITM is permitted to offer degrees only after affiliating to a recognised foreign university , neither of these two conditions have been complied with before commencing the course, " claimed the GMOA.
The report further states that although Dr. Neville Fernando in a letter dated May 21 , 2008 to the BOI informing that he has made representations to the Health Minister , SLMC, and University Grants Commission (UGC ), only the letters written by Dr. Neville Fernando was attached but not the responses of the MOH , UGC and SLMC.
Although SAITM signed the agreement with BOI on October 1 , 2008 the five member committee observes that two batches have been admitted by then without obtaining approval from the MOH and the SLMC.
The committee report observations meanwhile state that even after the newspaper announcement of Health Ministry Secretary advising SAITM to suspend the enrolment of new students to the MBBS degree until the MOH resolve the issues, SAITM still has placed a public advertisement to enroll students for the next batch .
It also states that in the absence of an effective date in the gazette notification on August 30 , 2011 granting the degree awarding status to SAITM, it is to be treated that the Higher Education Ministry had offered the degree awarding status prospectively .
" The report further states that SAITM has acknowledged that they had admitted two students who did not meet the current SLMC admission criteria and SAITM have ensured that this would not be repeated. However we have details that not only two, there are more than who have not met the SLMC admission criteria. Even the UGC have informed the five - member committee that it is not possible to accommodate the four batches recruited before the gazette notification and also does not have any provision legally to approve any offshore campus of Nishny Novogorod State Medical Academy (NNSMA ) in Sri Lanka. If so what will happen to the students of these four batches who cannot sit for the ERPM and what does SAITM have to say about it? Knowing all these it is surprising as to how parents keep on enrolling their children to a fake university , " claimed the GMOA.
Though SAITM has repeatedly stated over the years that they have obtained Health Ministry approval to construct their Teaching Hospital at Malabe, according to Dr. KanthiAriyaratne , Director, Private Health Sector Division , Ministry of Health , SAITM has neither received Health Ministry approval for the Teaching Hospital nor have forwarded a project proposal to the Ministry. According to Dr. Ariyaratne , the approval SAITM is talking about is the clearance they have got from the Provincial Health Director Dr. Harsha de Silva but not from the Health Ministry.
‘SAITM Graduates Unqualified To Treat The Sick ’ - SLMC
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