Delay in appointing Dean:

Medical dons  put off strike

November 27, 2014, 10:25 pm , The Island

by Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Faculty of Medicine Teachers Association (FMTA) yesterday called off its token strike and re-scheduled it for Dec. 4 following a decision taken at a meeting held on Wednesday (26) evening.

President of the FMTA, Prof. C. Deepal Mathew said that his association, however, hoped to discuss the matter with the Colombo University authorities and the Minister of Higher Education again before launching the strike.

Responding to the Colombo University Vice Chancellor's comment that the there was a financial inquiry against the senior professor elected as the new Dean of the Colombo Medical Faculty, Prof. Mathew said that the alleged inquiry was about a research grant for an education programme. The total amount had not been utilized as was more than the estimated cost, he said. The balance had been transferred to the Colombo University account.

Anyone could seek the opinion of the Attorney General. But, there was no legal barrier against appointing the Dean elect. "However we will remember that it would be the students and their parents who would suffer if we go on strike and no one else," he said.

The FMTA was to brief the press regarding the token strike yesterday morning, but journalists were turned away at the Medical Faculty gate on the grounds that the university authorities had not been informed of the media event.

Prof. Mathew, who is the Head of the Biochemistry Unit of the Medical Faculty, said that he had discussed the matter with the security officers at the gate and he had been told that only the print media would be allowed in.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University, Kumara Hirimburegama said that the University could not appoint a person who had a financial inquiry against him a. However they were seeking the AG's opinion on the matter.