Medical Faculty staff bring out their woes

July 10, 2012, 10:08 pm 

by Dasun Edirisinghe, the island

The Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FMTA) of the Colombo University said yesterday that over the successive years funds allocated for higher education had progressively declined when compared to the country’s inflation and other countries in the region.

President of the FMTA Dr. N. D. N. A. Mendis told The Island that it had led to a crisis situation, where the universities found it difficult to retain quality academic staff.

The inability of the universities to make the working conditions attractive and conducive, had resulted in brain drain of academic staff, he said.

"If we are to take an example from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo, two of our lecture theatres and the main building of the Anatomy Department were demolished over four years ago with a view to putting up a more spacious new building, which was approved by the University Grants Commission and the Cabinet of ministers," Dr. Mendis said adding that up to now it had not materialised.

According to the senior academic, their faculty had to conduct over 35 examinations annually. At present, those examinations were conducted using examination halls of other faculties, and private institutions.

It had caused enormous inconvenience to the staff and students alike, he said.

Dr. Mendis said that the communication allowance given to the specialists in the Ministry of Health had not been approved for the university clinical staff who were incharge of wards providing patient care. Such discrimination caused frustration amongst the academic staff.

"We demand that the government fulfill those grievances immediately to protect the quality of university education of the country," he said.