GMOA objects to reduction of pass mark

26 January 2012 07:53 pm - 37 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today objected to a decision by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) Chief to negotiate the reduction of the pass mark for foreign qualified students to practice medicine in Sri Lanka. The GMOA said the move would bring down the standards of medical treatment in the country.

The Examination for Registration to Practice Medicine (ERPM) pass mark was brought down from 50 per cent to 44.5 per cent on a court order in April last year. Fifty four candidates who had failed the exam in 1999 had filed a fundamental rights petition with one of the demands being that the pass mark be reduced to 40 per cent.

GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said the SLMC had assured it would discuss the matter with parents and decide on a pass mark that was agreeable to all.

While there was no personal animosity towards SLMC Chief Carlo Fonseka, such decisions should be made unanimously by all members of the SLMC.

“If a decision is taken to reduce the pass-mark because a parent had asked for it or due to some external pressure then this is a very serious problem that would have drastic consequences to the people of the country. You cannot reduce the standard of an exam in such manner,” Dr. Padeniya said.

Meanwhile he urged the government to increase the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance of government doctors from Rs.12,500 to Rs.30,000.

“The allowance was principally agreed upon in 2008 but it has not still been fully made available to us. The allowance is not a privilege but we are asking for it for the purpose of maintaining our sustainability,” he said.

Dr. Padeniya said it was the obligation of the government to provide financial stability to doctors.

“The financial stability of doctors cannot be under estimated and disregarded,” he said. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

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Comments - 37

Buwa Saturday, 28 January 2012 06:08 AM

Pass mark for SLMC local exams is 40% foreign exams 44.5% It seems discrimination. Anyway it's for the courts to decide. Also it doesnt matter the pass mark is 30 or 20 or 10, what matters is out of around 600 sitters only around dozen of people pass the Act 16 - highly unlikely right? unless the fact that "they wont pass us" is true! The rest ~550 goes back to ur "Act 16 classes" held at Pathe Academy and all for 1000/- per 2 hours by your own doctors. I see it as a monopoly.

And if ur from UK u should better know the difference so I assume it's a nice try with ur name!

jay Friday, 27 January 2012 10:16 AM

Govt must take step forward by not issuing any certificate to pass-out UNI students untill they pay all expenditures back to govt. after paying all dues then they can have the certfication from UNI. The period between passout and date of last payment due to Govt the student can work in SL hospital by issuing a letter to the Ministry of Health confirming the said student has pass the exam. This can be a list of pass-out students sent by Uni or UCG to Ministry of Health. In this case those can go abord but unable to work as he is not holding any graduation certificate.

I am sure most of the CULPRITS (I am sorry to say so) will whemently oppsoe this move. When such thing discuss in media we can see the colour of the crane

senura Friday, 27 January 2012 10:08 AM

Dear Rajindra,

FYI, the MCQ paper for the ERPM is the same MCQ paper given for final year students in state universities. The foreign medical graduates are then required to sit for a clinical examination ONLY if they get through the MCQ paper of the ERPM. There is no question about standardization because the state graduates sit for the same thing. The pass mark for state graduates in 50%. Since so many foreign medical grauduates were failing (about 80%), they have now asked for a different exam or lowering the pass mark to 40%.

R Fernando Friday, 27 January 2012 10:17 AM

How do you imagine he passed a multitude of exams in the English language and worked in the UK for a couple of years if he couldn't read English dumb @$$?

R Fernando Friday, 27 January 2012 10:27 AM

At the coast? Pity you didn't use "free education" at tax payers "coast" to learn some English!

gajan99 Friday, 27 January 2012 11:12 AM

pass mark should be 0-1.

nonis Friday, 27 January 2012 03:04 PM

reducing

amadoru Friday, 27 January 2012 06:16 PM

Really? If you are seriously ill what will be your choice? Local graduate or foreign qualified doctor?

Dr P Nonis Friday, 27 January 2012 09:38 PM

I never could understand the mentality of the GMOA and its rather overbearing attitude towards Medicine and the practice of Medicine in Sri Lanka. The country was brought to a standstill in the 80's due to their numerous protests against the North Colombo Medical College and now a similar crusade has commenced against the Malabe medical college and the Overseas trained doctors.
India, Pakistan, Nepal and Malaysia all have private medical colleges. They have a system whereby standards are monitored and these doctors are assimilated into the system.
Sri Lanka had such an archaic system whereby, a student from a rural area was allowed to enter the medical college with a ridiculously low mark--- I wonder if the system exists still. How could the GMOA defend such a system ?
Its best GMOA concentrate on providing better health care to the public and maintaining ethics and practices amongst its membership.

Jayan Saturday, 28 January 2012 05:25 AM

I can't any reason to reduce the pass mark other than a politician's child must have received 44.5 marks.

Sasna Friday, 27 January 2012 09:46 AM

Hey bro,visit rajarata medical faculty and assess the quality of it.without knowing anything blabbering here won't make any sense.
shame on you....

Buwa Saturday, 28 January 2012 06:11 AM

Pass marks for state graduates is 40%. Know ur facts correctly before putting them out, unless it's a nice try lying.

WWO Saturday, 28 January 2012 06:15 AM

So the patient died because inserting a wrong thermometer? What kind of thermometer is it? A kill_the_patient_instantly_thermometer? And according to ur "story" the trainee nurse and Carlo both did nothing until this "sudden" death of the patient? Lol made my day! I think 5 year old student can lie better xD

Dinesh Saturday, 28 January 2012 06:19 AM

You are shouting out of pure jealousy. Don't be jealousy of graduates just because you were not intelligent enough to enter a university.

Dinesh Saturday, 28 January 2012 06:25 AM

Your comment shows the little knowledge and peanut sized brain you have got. See the health statistics of other south asian countries and you will realize that we are way ahead of them. That is due to hard working healthcare workers specially doctors. In developed countries and only a small number of patients doctors have to see per a day. We also can spend 30minutes for each patients if only around 10-15 patients coming to a ward/clinic per a day. Go and see the pathetic situation of government hospitals in India.

Managala Sunday, 29 January 2012 01:56 PM

No one is jealousy it is scrooge type GMOA that could not bare equal education rather needed monopoly

Managala Sunday, 29 January 2012 02:04 PM

Great thought still low mark such 3 B could be enough to enter medical college in rural areas still 3 A students in colombo could not so how come foriegn grads can be low quality when such system exist where not the cream is in medical college ppl should think wisely

Managala Sunday, 29 January 2012 02:05 PM

Woow really !!

Anada Tuesday, 13 March 2012 06:51 AM

Good to have a common test for all graduates in medicine before applying SLMC registration. Then state university graduate( Sri Lankan graduates) too have to face for the challenge. Are you fear? If not justify the suggestion by GMOA too.

anura Friday, 27 January 2012 03:20 AM

you have my comment

Dr I.M.C.Fernando,UK Thursday, 26 January 2012 10:37 PM

I was perturbed to read that the SLMC is to negotiate the reduction of the pass mark for foreign qualified students. This is a matter entirely for the Medical Faculties to decide and the SLMC should endorse/uphold it. This is not a matter of human rights, nor is it a matter to negotiate with parents !!!! Why create a poorly qualified underclass of foreign qualified medical practitioners by lowering pass marks.This is quite unfair to SL qualified medical graduates and the GMOA is absolutely right to protest on this matter which will be a disaster to the Country

Analysis Friday, 27 January 2012 12:32 AM

Mr Doctor, don't be a spanner in the works like you always do. Let the administrators do their job and please look after patients which is your job!

de silva Friday, 27 January 2012 01:46 AM

Carlo fonseka is trying hard to bring down Sri Lankan public medical sector. I am sure in very near future our Quality of medical service will equal to India. What a disgracefull act by shamefull Carlo. MR should kick out if things goes like this.. Wakeup sri lankan !!!

anura Friday, 27 January 2012 02:09 AM

padeniya your drs can do pvt practice in private hospitals
with Govt many f free you a fool+++++++

anura Friday, 27 January 2012 02:45 AM

Are you a Dr? shame on you(if you can read English)

ITCL Friday, 27 January 2012 02:53 AM

Who are the doctors not financially stable ? Better GOSL do a research first.

Most of the Doctors make huge income but not paying a single tax to government. And they study in SL campus at the coast of tax payers money.

anura Friday, 27 January 2012 02:54 AM

I Have Texed you

anura Friday, 27 January 2012 03:20 AM

you have my comment

rajindra Thursday, 26 January 2012 10:35 PM

I recommend all foreign trained doctors to apply for Australian Medical Council or NZ Medical Council exams without wasting time in Sri Lanka. Those exams are transparent but are costly. However, passing them seems to be easier than in SL as there is more than medical knowledge involved in SL. Reason being the grudge between SL graduates and the Foreign Trained doctors which influence whole testing system. GMOA is hell bent on to hold on to monopoly as medical profession is a big full time business in SL. I do not know whether these tests have been pre-tested with the final year SL medical students as it is done in Australia. I doubt any medical student from a campus like Rajarata with 18th century facilities is as good as a medical student from an Ethiopian university. Even the Colombo Medical college is in the bottom of the list in the yearbook of universities, far below than even Bangladeshi unis. GMOA, prove that SL doctor is better than a foreign graduate.

rohantha Friday, 27 January 2012 03:51 AM

Financial Stability of the Doctors. Holy Cow!! Who is talking.

Guna Friday, 27 January 2012 04:26 AM

Government should support doctors who work in our country. Most of the people who obtained free university education are migrating to other countries and live there.
Government should introduce loan system for University students and it can be deducted monthly basis once they started working. Who ever migrating or going to other countries should pay full loan. This is already in place Australia and other europe countries. I have written to UGC, Sec of Education Departments but they keep silence.

RW Friday, 27 January 2012 04:27 AM

Please go to other developing countries in the region and see what is happening. Patients are well looked after there. Doctors spend some time for the patients. In Sri Lanka, Doctor writes the prescription before the patient completes the explanation. We have a severe shortage of doctors. But GMOA does not like foreign graduates. They do not want private medical colleges. They want patients to suffer and get all the benefits and feel above all, at the expense of poor people of the country. Hope our President will interfere to stop this GMOA mafia.

H Sriyananda Friday, 27 January 2012 05:33 AM

I wish to refer my good friend Carlo to a remark he made a few years back, to illustrate that 'a doctor is always correct, whatever he does'.

He described a situation where he was invited by the relatives of a patient under treatment in a private hospital to visit him and advice them on the best course of action. While he was with the patient, a 'foreign qualified doctor' working at the hospital walked in, took the temperature of the patient, entered it on the chart, and went away. Carlo was amazed at the whole episode, for 'the doctor' had inserted the wrong end of the thermometer into the patient's mouth. Would any of our trainee nurses have done such a thing?

The patient died a few hours later.

Of course, Carlo was not the head of the SLMC at the time, he was the Dean of one of our medical faculties.

Rajindra Friday, 27 January 2012 05:41 AM

You need to learn how to write a lie in a forum like this.

Sam Friday, 27 January 2012 05:54 AM

You are correct. I know that the Act VI or VII (number not sure) insists that the Foreign Graduates should get through the examination conducted by the SLMC.

It is evident that the examiners themselves do conduct Coaching/ Tution at very high costs (Ranging from Rs 50,000 to 200,000).

But the paradox is those who do not undertake those Coaching are not get through the exams (You know why !!!)

Why we cant introduce a single examination for all Medical Graduates who want to enter Government Service in order to have a level playing.

Then we can evaluate the QUALITY.

Mangalq Friday, 27 January 2012 07:32 AM

Foriegn grads are not aliens or wealthy ppl they are common ppls children who learn by selling properties and paying loans but still they want to serve their mother land not like dr learn by tax payers money and still would think of migrating overseas see the difference i would like to request foriegn grads try for develop countries dont be here to feel disapointment of being rejected by your own kind...

Buwa Friday, 27 January 2012 08:25 AM

Lol, nice try!

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GMOA objects to reduction of pass mark

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