Past, Present and Future : South Asian Institute of Technology and Management or South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine ? | Sunday Observer

Past, Present and Future : South Asian Institute of Technology and Management or South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine ?

12 March, 2017

I have refrained from commenting on SAITM all this while, only focusing views on “Diversification of State, Non State, Non Fee Levying and Fee Levying Tertiary Education with Quality and Relevance”. But, the continuing disruptions on tertiary education and the ‘poor patients’ being deprived of medical attention has prompted me to disclose information and propose solutions to the SAITM crisis.

Around year 2000, I was appointed as an Hony Consultant to this Institute not in Medicine but in Civil Engineering and Building planning. But, due to the over-ambitious hasty infrastructure planning, I got myself relieved in a couple of months.

Thereafter, as the former Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa, along with two other former Vice Chancellors of two other Universities, UGC Officials, and members of professional bodies, in 2011, I was appointed by the University Grants Commission to undertake an ‘Institution Review’ on an application made by SAITM for ‘degree awarding institute status’ on MANAGEMENT.

We reported to the UGC the suitability of the institute on Management as a “degree awarding Institute” provided certain shortcomings were remedied. Now that SAITM is referred to as, South Asian Institute of Technology and MEDICINE, with doubts on the recognition of its standards on undergraduate medical education, on the expectation of all views being considered by a committee, I have conveyed the following to the Secretary to the President, on February 12, 2017:

Future considerations

While those protesting and depriving innocent patients from medical attention should consider more innovative methods of protest, rather than making poor patients suffer, I give below 7 steps to be considered to resolve the current crisis.

* Suspend new Admissions to the SAITM Medical degree program until the current crisis is resolved

* Verify whether the Ministry of Higher Education and University Grants Commission according to the Universities Act, have granted “degree awarding status” to the SAITM Medical program of study, and if not, take necessary action

* Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to be the SOLE Authority to decide on the minimum standards for the grant of Professional recognition for the practice of Medicine in Sri Lanka, and if this is not so in the SLMC Ordinance, suitable amendments to be done and the Minister of Health should get it legalized in Parliament, with the observations of the Minister of Higher Education

* If there is a shortfall in the current medical program of study at SAITM in Clinical training and Academic inputs as per the minimum standards specified, such subjects to be provided forthwith by SAITM for a few months, in recognized places, to the satisfaction of the SLMC

* On successful completion of such remedial action of the shortfalls, the medical students from SAITM be permitted to provisionally register at SLMC to undergo their internship

* The new batch of entrants to SAITM to be recommenced once SLMC is made the SOLE authority of standards for medical education and practice in Sri Lanka, and any shortfalls in the present system are rectified, irrespective of such education being Fee Levying or Non Fee Levying

* An examination similar to Act 16 for foreign medical graduates to be introduced for non state local medical graduates in Sri Lanka, until such time that such institutes are accredited by the SLMC.

Emeritus Prof Dayantha Wijeyesekera,

Former Vice Chancellor, Open University and Moratuwa University, Former Chairman, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, Past President, Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, Currently, Chancellor, University of Vocational Technology. 

Comments