14 December 2017 06:46 am
The Cabinet paper was yesterday put forward by Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne declaring the minimum qualification for entry into medical education as two credit passes and one simple pass in the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in one sitting for subjects of Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen de Soyza told a news conference that the SLMC should gather and arrive at a decision on this matter before the next Cabinet meeting and added that this could be considered as the second instance where Minister Senaratne had gone against the technical decision of the SLMC.
“The SLMC should have a firm stance on this matter at this juncture. Even the GMOA would stand in line with the SLMC’s stand. The SLMC should not consider about any private medical university or Minister Senaratne during this procedure. President Sirisena should not approve this Cabinet proposal,” he added.
He said that the earlier approved minimum qualification for entry into medical education was three merit passes in 2017 which was calculated by the minimum result of the student who had qualified for the State medical faculties in the said year.
He also said Minister Senaratne was in an attempt to stand for the profit-earning institute like South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) with his proposal to degrade the minimum qualification to three simple passes which was finally decided as two credit passes and one simple pass.
“Minister Senaratne does not have the authority to do so,” he added. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)
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