Parents of medical students call for legal recognition

The parents of medical students at the Private Medical Institution, Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) yesterday called on the authorities to give legal recognition to the institution. The former Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Terrance De Silva addressing a media conference with other aggrieved parents said that the private medical institution should be accepted and monitored by the authorities to ensure its functioning. “These institutions should  fall in line with government requirements,” he said. Dr. De Silva said the MBBS degree awarded by the institution is affiliated to a world recognized Russian State University. He questioned as to why the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) which recognizes 332 medical schools in 44 countries chose not to give recognition to the medical institution. “The SLMC recognizes universities in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan where standards are very low. Why cannot they recognize institutions that are set up in the country?” he questioned. He explained that the institution’s course fees are an estimated Rs. 5.5 million . “Outside the country course fees for such a course vary from Rs.2.5 million to 30 million . The fees for this particular course falls somewhere in-between,” he said. Earlier there was 16% VAT which accounted for an estimated Rs.9 lakhs but said this has now been reduced to 2%, he said. He said parents preferred to educate their children in Sri Lanka instead of sending them abroad for studies and that a large number of students in the country don’t qualify for medical college admittance in Sri Lanka due to lack of vacancies further limiting their chances of studying medicine. “This is an injustice to the children,” he said.