A letter to the president regarding SAITM

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - The Sri Lanka Medical Council says enforcing the General Sir John Kotelawala National Defense University Act would pose a challenge to protect the quality of medical education in the country. SLMC President,  Professor Colvin Goonaratne has raised this issue in a letter to the President. The letter highlights 10 repercussions that would arise through the enforcement of the Kotelawala National Defence University Act. The letter says the Sri Lanka Medical Council is the professional body that offers medical degrees, however, the proposed Kotelawala National Defence University Act would bypass this requirement. Professor Colvin Goonaratna goes on to state, the proposed act bypasses the requirement to comply with the minimum standards of medical education and provides the Minister of Defence with wide powers in the fields of Higher Education and Health - superseding the power of the Ministers of Higher Education and Health. He adds the proposed act would create a separate system for higher education independent from the national state universities regulated by the University Grants Commission and it would violate the original objective of setting up the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy. Professor Colvin Goonaratna requests the President to consider these facts and make the appropriate amendment to the proposed action.