SAITM's MBBS graduates; Govt. admits to their lack of skills: GMOA

12 April 2017 11:05 am

The Government appears to have admitted to the fact that SAITM's MBBS graduates were not equipped with the proper skills to treat patients and as such that they should undergo more training, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said yesterday.

“It is evident that these students did not have the proper skills to treat patients because the health ministry has decided to provide them with more clinical practice and acknowledged that SAITM has failed to maintain the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH) for this reason was bringing it under the purview of the Health Ministry,” GMOA Secretary Naveen de Zoyza said. said.

He said what was revealed by the Health Minister and the Higher Education Minister at the court hearings have been contradicted when considering the decisions made by the Health Ministry.

“We will allow the government to take over the Neville Fernando Hospital and let SAITM to function as usual,” Dr. de Zoysa said.

Health Ministry on Friday decided to bring the hospital under the purview of the Health Ministry and to conduct a mandatory examination under the joint supervision of the SLMC and the University Grants Commission (UGC) before the provisional registration of SAITM's medical graduates. The Health Ministry has also undertaken to gazette the minimum standards required for medical education in Sri Lanka. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)