Following the Supreme Court order a few weeks ago, the students who enrolled into the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) in September 2009 and February 2010 received the long-awaited provisional registration (PR) of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), on August 16.
It was a moment of happiness. Concluding back-to-back battles at courts to win their rights amid severe social pressure - a stigma created by the powerful doctors’ trade union - 50 SAITM graduates received their license to practice as Medical Officers.
They now await receiving internships from the Government.
This is in the pipeline as the Government abides by the law to do so. A technical issue on the merit list of the Jaffna University Medical Faculty has barred giving internships immediately.
Another 35 SAITM graduates who are the third batch of the private medical college are yet to obtain their PR, as there is a minor amendment needed on the merit list.
“It is the first time we walked through the gates of the SLMC so peacefully. On all previous occasions, we had to face protests and we went inside with either police protection or with our lawyers,” a graduate said.
The graduates walked into the SLMC about 9 am on Friday and they returned after around two hours with happy faces, This should have happened three years ago.
“I’m so happy. But more challenges are to come. I want to make the most of this valuable opportunity to serve my fellow beings. I don’t intend going abroad as this is where my heart is.
I hope others, especially those who were against us, would allow us to follow our hearts and serve the country,” said Shane Halpe, a graduate from the first batch.
The SLMC premises which are often open for protests and hate until recently, was experiencing a gamut of emotions. The new doctors of SAITM and their parents were hugging each other as one cluster. This unity showed nothing but the hardships they went through the years.
K.D.A. Dissanayake is a retired Director, Sri Lanka Education Services. Her daughter, a doctor from SAITM received SLMC registration recently.
“I think probably the biggest mistake we did was loving our country so much. These students were about to go abroad and complete their medical degree. As parents, we thought why should we give our hard-earned money to foreign countries. Let’s spend it here and finally, it is our country that will rise,” Dissanayake said.
“Once our children finished their finals, these people started hammering them.
They turned the medical profession to such a tragic occupation. I am a retired officer of the Education Service. We never trivialized our occupation like these doctor trade unionists. In our day we equalized doctors with gods. These trade unionists completely ruined that feeling. I assure you our children will never get onto the roads. They will never go on strike. They will serve the country to their best capacities.We are grateful to the judiciary, our lawyers, Dr Neville Fernando and everyone who were behind us,” she said.
D.A. Abeywardene a businessman and a parent had to share nothing but disappointment over those who barred justice being served to the SAITM graduates.
“People should have guided our children without objecting to them. Especially those in the topmost positions. Eventually, our children lost three to four years of their lives,” he said.
The young ones who came out of the SLMC building with their registration certificates went immediately towards a lady in short hair, who also seemed to be very emotional. She is Waruni Gunaratna, an Attorney-at-Law, a mother to all graduates. She was the pillar behind all students during their many judicial journeys. “Everybody has a right to education. No one should hinder that. Lawmakers should let children hone their abilities to make them valuable citizens, not blunt their skills. As a result, there is no social justice. That is the main reason for brain drain,” Waruni said.
“We must give credit to our counsel, especially to Upul Jayasuriya. He appeared for us without taking a penny, which was a big relief. Finally, it was the judiciary that saved us. A few members in the SLMC also guided us,” she said.
Pix: Gayan Pushpika