SAITM to be made semi government and Neville Fernando hospital to be taken over by government

It has been decided for the much debated Malabe SAITM private medical College to be made a joint government and private and the Neville Fernando to be taken over by the government to run as a government hospital.This has been decided by a sub committee  appointed by the  parliament to the ministry of higher education.

This sub committee is headed by Professor Aashu Marasinghe as the President with members as Lasantha Alagiyawanna,Sujith Sanjaya Perera,Mujebar Rahaman,Angajan Ramanathan,Chathura

In the report submitted, President Professor Aashu Marasinghe it has been suggested that out of the one thousand beds in the Neville Fernando  Teaching hospital one hundred beds should be separated for a paying ward. It was also stated in the committee report that out of the balance nine hundred beds four hundred should be reserved for surgical,neurology,children and psychiatrist cases.The balance beds should be reserved for eye,ENT patients. It is also stated that registration of SAITM students with the GMOA has been refused.

It has been stated in the report that the students at SAITM have more clinical experience than those students who have obtained medical degrees from overseas universities.This was said by Professor Marasinghe tabling the report.

It is reported that Sri Lanka government hospitals need forty thousand doctors in the cadre .however there is a scarcity of twenty five thousand doctors.

In the report of the sub committee it is stated that twenty percent of the students in SAITM are those who had failed admission to the medical colleges.

It has been mentioned in the report  of the committee that the final examination in SAITM has been in the same standard as the examination standard of the university grants commission.It has been recommended that the SAITM students should obtain clinical experience from Avissawela, Mulleriyawa and Horana hospitals.