President consents to nationalise SAITM
A discussion was held last afternoon between President Maithripala Sirisena and the Government Medical Officers Association over various problems springing up including the SAITM Private Faculty of Medicine being devoid of a criteria and the Media Secretary of the association Dr. Nalinda
Herath announced after the discussions that the President has granted his consent to nationalise the Malabe SAITM Faculty of Medicine. The President had further stated that before placing his signature for the ETCA Trade Agreement the opinion of the public would be questioned and the decision would be based on that.The President has made a pledge that no consent would be given by him for any Agreement which would bring harm upon the country. The Association has placed other demands too before the President and the Media Secretary said that the President promised that no room would be left for any issue to arise when admitting children of doctors to schools.
How the nationalisation process of the SAITM is to be implemented has still not been explained and reported. Whatever it is, there is a clue that SAITM would be taking action to release itself from grips of a private rule and would work in compliance with demands the government imposes on them. Further, it would be revealed in time to come as to whether the Faculty would become an institution where the Degree would be offered after paying the government or else whether it would the Faculty would be made to achieve a similar status of other medical faculties.