GMOA members threaten to quit SLMC

November 15, 2011, 10:03 pm

By Don Asoka Wijwewardena, The Island.

Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday warned the government that their Association representing about 14,000 doctors would be compelled to resign from Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC)membership if the SLMC took action to register 70 RMPs who had presented bogus medical certificates. It was a flagrant violation of the provisions of the Sri Lanka Medical Ordinance slot.

GMOA General Secretary Dr.Chandika Epitakaduwa said an emergency General Committee meeting scheduled for November 17 would take a final decision on the issue. The RMPs/ AMPs had been detailed in most rural district hospitals to treat minor ailments. For serious cases they were required to hand them over to qualified M.B.B.S. doctors.

The G.M.O.A. was constrained to take some painful decisions, because 70 AMPs/RMPs had been asking the SLMC to recognize their medical certificates. They had claimed that they completed three –year training in General Medicine in St.Petersburg Medical School in Russia. But these AMPs on the pretext of studying medicine three years at St. Petersburg Medical School had never gone to Russia and some had gone to Russia for two months.

Although they had not completed the required studies three years, they had engineered to present bogus medical certificates certifying three years training. The G.M.O.A. knew from a reliable source that these AMPs had only completed 6 months training through visiting lecturers. The SLMC wanted to know the exact places of training of these AMPs. They had given two addresses. The SLMC came to know that those places mentioned by the AMPs were rather doubtful, the G.M.O.A. General Secretary claimed.

GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr.Upul Gunasekere said that the SLMC complained to the police to carry out further investigation to find out whether the places mentioned were meant for medical education purposes. The CID which investigated the matter found that the addresses mentioned were completely wrong and misleading.

He added that three prerequisites were essential for a doctor to practice medicine in Sri Lanka. He or she should be a citizen of Sri Lanka, should have an impeccable character and should have a recognized medical degree. In addition he or she should have passed Act 16 examination in accordance with the Section 29 of the Sri Lanka Medical Ordinance.