GMOA to decide on counter measures against increased threats

September 28, 2011, 10:28 pm

By Dasun Edirisinghe

The General Committee of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) will meet today (29) to decide on a strategy to counter the stepped-up threats on its President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya for spearheading the ongoing protest campaign targeting the Malabe Private Medical College (PMC).

GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Sankalpa Marasinghe told The Island their executive committee, which met on Wednesday, had decided to brief the Cabinet of Ministers on the threats directed at those campaigning against the PMC.

The supreme body of the GMOA is the General Committee, which includes representatives from all government hospitals. The GMOA didn’t rule out the possibility of resorting to trade union action if the ongoing harassment and threats were not stopped forthwith.

Dr. Marasinghe said that they had discussed ways and means of meeting the threat against the GMOA, which last week threatened to sue Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake for allegedly defaming Dr. Padeniya.

The GMOA reacted angrily to the Bribery Commission removing Dr. Padeniya’s personal file from the Lady Ridgway Hospital for Children on Monday. Dr. Marasinghe alleged that those involved in the PMC project had been acting in a threatening manner and Monday’s removal of Dr. Padeniya’s personal file was part of their overall strategy.

Profs., Lecturers take sabbatical leave to work at Malabe PMC

September 28, 2011, 10:29 pm

By Nilantha Madurawela

A number of professors and senior lecturers, who were attached to the Medical Faculty of the University of Sri Lanka, have either joined the permanent staff of the Malabe Private Medical College or lecture at the institute during the weekends.

Among them are 16 Professors and 12 senior lecturers. Seven professors have taken sabbatical leave from the university and are teaching permanently at the private medical college while the rest of the professors and senior lecturers are conducting lectures during the weekends.

Director of the private medical college Dr. Sameera Senaratne told the media that they had been recruited after calling for applications.

He said a committee has been appointed by the health ministry to review the medical colleges and it had not mentioned anything about not recruiting students and hence its academic affairs continue as usual.