Enrolment of students to SAITM will continue

The chairman of SAITM, Dr Neville Fernando said that a decision would be taken on whether to suspend the enrolment of students at SAITM for six months after discussing this matter with the Higher Education Ministry. Till then more students would be taken in, he said.

He said the lecturers of the institution were paid very high salaries in order to provide a good education to the students. If students were not enrolled there would be no funds to pay the professors, he said.

He said that students of his institution were provided clinical training at the government hospitals only after making a payment of Rs 50,000 per subject and they would not agree to the already graduated students being given this clinical training once again.

If the Medical Council ignores the court order and refuses to register the medical graduates, these students might file action in court for contempt of court, he said.

During a discussion the deans of all medical faculties had with the Higher Education Ministry recently, it had been decided to suspend the enrolment of new students to SAITM for six months, and for the students who had passed out to undergo clinical training and sit for an examination conducted by the Medical Council. (Tharindu Jayawardene)