By Nipuna Jeewanthaka Wadimuna –
Nipuna Jeewanthaka Wadimuna
I’m Nipuna Jeewanthaka Wadimuna, a student from Peradeniya Medical Faculty. I was born in Madawachchiya in 1991 and faced my advanced level examination at Anuradhapura Central College. And got selected to the Peradeniya Medical Faculty. I write in response to the article published on Colombo Telegraph on 22nd of March, 2017, by someone who claims him to be known as Sarath Bandara, a final year medical student from Peradeniya Medical Faculty. I was bit surprised after reading his article, because most of the details he has written are deceptive and manipulated facts to win the sympathy of people, while misleading the readers creating a defective picture regarding our faculty. As a student from Anuradhapura area who has come to this state through commitment and dedication I feel guilty to be silent at this occasion and I feel like I’m the best one to answer these false allegations he has made.
Firstly I could not find anyone known as Sarath Bandara from Anuradhapura area in any of the recent batches in the Peradeniya Medical faculty either from senior or junior batches of mine. It is not difficult to find students from Anuradhapura area, because they are of limited numbers in each batch. that in mine, there are only 3 students from Anuradhapura Central College. According to Sarath he is from a village called Radagama, and as a resident in Anuradhapura, I have never heard of such a village at 10 km proximity to Anuradhapura town. He says that he couldn’t enter the Anuradhapura Central College before grade 5 scholarship examination because his house is 10 km away from the school. But in fact ANURADHAPURA CENTRAL COLLEGE doesn’t have a primary section that it has classes only from grade 6 to A/L s and distance is not a barrier for you to enter the school as far as you have good Grade 5 scholarship exam or O/L s results or have special achievements in sports. Best evidence to support this is that I and my two fellow batch mates. Nirosh Priyankara and Harshana Guruge are about 50 km, 60 km & 80km away from ANURADHAPURA CENTRAL COLLEGE respectively.
It is a manipulated fact that he is trying to show Anuradhapura Central College has very limited number of A passes for Mathematics & Science in O/L s. I don’t understand his intension of showing these deceptive information. Most of the students at Anuradhapura Central College have A grades for mathematics and Science and they are not that rare as Sarath has stated in his article. Every year Anuradhapura Central College’s O/L s results are among the top 20 schools in the country. I remember one year it had the Island’s best O/L s results in English medium. Anuradhapura Central College has a high demand from the students to study Bio Science and Mathematics (physical sciences) streams in their A/L s because the school has shown the best results in the district for many years.
I suppose that the age he states in the article at several occasions are far from true values, as no one can be delayed to such extent in our country. I also agree that there are delays. But staying for 4 years after A/L s exam is a big lie. I’m a final year medical student and my age still is 25 years and 8 months, I wonder how on earth Sarath be 32 when he pass out from the faculty.
If you want to do you’re A/L s in Bio science or Mathematics streams in Anuradhapura you have no option other than to come to the town area, because most of the peripheral schools do not have necessary facilities. Anuradhapura being the biggest district in the country, it is not a strange fact that you have to move a lot of distance to come to the town. I had to travel more than 50 km everyday by two buses to go to the school, because I did not want to stay at hostels. And my fellow batch mate, Lasantha, had to travel about 80km to come to the school. Most of the people in our district are not rich and face numerous difficulties financially and socially, but we do not want to write our stories to beg sympathy from the public. For example my other batch mate Nirosh’s father who was the breadwinner of the family, was a victim of the chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology and it is not uncommon in our area. Despite several difficulties he was able to get through the exam and got selected to the medical faculty with 3As. His father passed away when he was at 1st year. But he has never begged sympathy from you. My other batch mate Lasantha was from Padaviya and they have suffered a lot from the LTTE arracks before 2009, but somehow he was able to enter the medical faculty after obtaining 3As.
I was amazed to hear him stating that he was ragged in the Peradeniya medical faculty. I can 100% guarantee that our medical faculty is a zero rag faculty like most of other medical faculties in Sri Lanka. Our seniors didn’t rag us by any means. But there was a well-planned system to get to know our batch mates and seniors, by means of extracurricular activities like cultural events, where everyone had to work together, sharing and caring for each other. It was a wonderful experience which will never be forgotten. I can still remember the New Year festival of the faculty, where we the fresher got into teams with other senior and staff and get involved in the events. In May 2013 we built a “Wesak Kuduwa” at Galaha junction from our batch. It is the biggest Wesak lantern in Kandy area and is built annually by 1st year students of our faculty. It was a good opportunity for us to show our artistic skills and also to work as a team, getting to know each other. We had to work till late night and even students from Kandy area came to stay in our hostels. So it is not true to say that hostels are strange places to Kandy students of the batch. Even seniors came to help us by every way they could. Money for the Wesak lantern is earned by selling wesak cards by seniors, so that finding money was not a burden to us. Medical Faculty Students union’s cultural subcommittee arranges cultural events every month like “Kujadawa”, short drama festivals, where we can write dramas and stage them. Panel of judges will come from the arts faculty and we were lucky to get advices from great professors like Liyanage Amarakeerthi and they helped us to improve our skills and talents. Environmental subcommittee arranges hikes and students from all batches can participate in them, where we can interact with them. Faculty meet which is organized annually by the students union, was a golden opportunity for our talents and also to get to know about seniors, lecturers and helped us to get used to the university subculture. Fresher’s sports meet organized by the Physical education department of our university and the Peradeniya students’ union was also a nice experience. We has the chance to work with students of the 8 other faculties of our university. I also see this as a privilege enjoyed only by Peradeniya university students. I was able to make many friends from other faculties, even they help me up to now by the means they could. Peradeniya University is the most beautiful university in the country, with this beautiful calm and quiet environment and taking part in above mentioned activities I have enjoyed my stay at this university so far.
When we focus our attention on the academics of our faculty, currently we are using 06 hospitals for our clinical training, namely they are Kegalle Teaching Hospital, Mawanella Base hospital, Gampola Base Hospital, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialized Children’s Hospital- Peradeniya, Kandy Teaching Hospital, and Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. It comprises of 16 departments and 11 units including the Nuclear Medicine unit. Academic staff and Non-academic staff are very friendly and help us to learn effectively. Seniors and other batch mates help us with the “Kuppi” classes, which is an important part in university subculture and reflects the morals like helping each other. We had an English training programme of one month duration and with the help of friends and academic staff I managed to get used to this academic programme within about 2 months. I had the fear that I will fail at the 1st semester exam because my English language was not so good at the time I entered this faculty, but I was able to show a good progress by two months and was able to pass every exam in the faculty in my first attempt. Findings books was not a big problem to us that many seniors gave their text books after their exams and having the largest and well updated medical library in the country, we are lucky enough to have every book we need in the library.
Clinical training is very hard at the beginning, but I have realized that this training is mandatory to work as a doctor so I have dedicated a lot. Exams too were difficult as they should be, because we deal with the lives of the patients and only the ones with the knowledge and skills should pass. After finishing 04 years at this faculty and I’m at the final year. I have humble pride that I have managed to come so far and also recollecting the past memories at this wonderful place, gives me mere satisfaction and motivation to work hard and go for my target of becoming a good doctor to this country. After seeing the article written by Sarath Bandara I could not help myself from writing a reply because of the manipulated facts he has shown throughout his article, on his way of creating a false image about the place I love the most. I see this cheap attempt as another low grade act like the shooting drama by the SAITM.
Editor’s note: We publish below the comment made by the retired lecturer, who has translated and edited the “My (Typical) Pera Story“, this comment has been posted on 2017/03/23 at 6:23 am:
This story was written by three NCP students in the Medical Faculty who wished to highlight the problems faced by students from rural areas as a response to the stream of SAITM stories published recently. I taught English at the Faculty and translated and edited (reduced content, inserted illegally and asked for a reference to Australia) it at their request. I find I have wrongly translated Anuradhapura schools as Anuradhapura Central in the first paragraph. The lead author tells me that he lives in Radagama, south of Anuradhapura passing Tammannewa and his parents teach in a school nearby. The others contributed to it and that is why I put (typical) in the title. The name Sarath Bandara is made up of parts of two of their names. Unfortunately, medical students have a misapprehension that examiners in viva voce examinations can be vindictive and given the large number of staff and consultants with children in SAITM, our boys were reluctant to identify themselves. I can assure readers that these boys are well behaved and do not participate in the demonstrations in Colombo, possibly for the same reason. Most of them are first year students and students from other Faculties going to Colombo in buses organized by the student union.
old codger / March 25, 2017
To be fair, the writer is a bit harsh on the fictional “Sarath Bandara”.
I don’t see any attempt to denigrate the Peradeniya Medical Faculty, as claimed by Nipuna. Nipuna claims ragging is “zero”. Sarath B. says it is much less than in other faculties. A matter of opinion, isn’t it? The argument about Anuradhapura Central is now irrelevant. Did the writer not read the post by CS? One (especially a prospective doctor) should be aware of all facts .
On a different aspect of education, Sarath B says that many rich/ middle class students enter the University. I think it would be a good idea to charge these people a reasonable amount (say 10% of SAITM) . Forget Grama Niladhari certificates. There are other ways of ascertaining wealth. For example, utility bills, property taxes, etc. The end result would be better facilities for everybody and more pay for staff.
/
CC / March 25, 2017
The reason for the ‘harshness’ is that the fact this Sarath Bandara or any kind of student/students who can be fit in to the discriptiin does not exsist in the faculty. Very limited number of students enter to the faculty from the said district and all students are very well acquainted regardless of the batch they are in. This character is obviosly made up and along with the three students story, makes the writer is an ousider and yes arguement about Anuradhapura Central College is still relevent.
‘Zero rag faculty’ was originally stated by a senior lecturer in the faculty, anybody can confirm it with a staff member or an ‘actual student’ who studies there.
Btw, Partially agree with you on your last point.
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Sinhala_Man / March 25, 2017
Dear Nipuna Jeewanthaka Wadimuna,
There’s “an eternal question” that Pontius Pilate is supposed to have asked Jesus Christ: “What is truth?”
If we insist on getting minute details right, we get so long-winded that nobody is going to bother to read us. You will realise that you were a bit behind the times as far as revelations about the “bogusness” of “Sarath Bandara” is concerned. The editor’s note tells you that.
You have made some valuable corrections, but also since you’ve given your real name (I have no way of checking, but I’m sure that is the case) you’ve painted a flattering picture of your Faculty. .
I was a superannuated Pera Arts undergrad from Nov. 1982 to December 1985. Medical Faculty ragging wasn’t as bad as in other Faculties, but it was the Engineering Faculty that had exemplary attitudes then. When Tamil students were mercilessly beaten up and chased out of the university on the 11th of May 1983, it was master-minded by a Science undergrad named Thulsi Wickremasinghe. You can read a lot about it here:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/university-of-peradeniya-may-1983-when-majesty-stoops-to-folly/
The last three comments are interesting: Kumaran Selvarajah, a young guy asks Prof. SJ and me, what’s the use of us showing off our English? To which both of us have responded lamely – but honestly!
By Monday, the 16th 1983, the still faithful Dr Vickremabahu Karunaratne, and the now turncoat Vasudeva Nanayakkara had sent us some leaflets for distribution. They called upon all undergrads to act sensibly and desist from racist violence. It was difficult to find people to distribute them. We went in to the Medical Faculty (Engineering had stopped work until Tamil students should return), and we received a very hostile reception there. Virtually chased out, and asked never to return (We did!).
On the whole, “Meddas” had a bad reputation. No sports or extra-curricular activities of any sort. No understanding of social affairs, no sense of humour. The reason given was that there was too much to study. This may be true. To get even your MBBS you have to know “everything”. It may be that something has to be pruned from your syllabus, so that something else of all that wonderful “University Experience” is possible for you. Lacking that, you may do something much worse than killing the occasional patient – later!
Obviously, I exaggerate, generalise, and blame your Faculty too much! All of us can be insufferable at times! Let me boast!!
It is on record that in 1985 I was adjudged the “Best Director” in the “Inter-hall Drama Competition”. Yes, I had selected a very relevant one act play, having looked at dozens of possibilities. Me McKenna, it was called, and this may have been the playwright:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shaw_(British_actor)
Those reading English were such pundits that our team tolerated only me, and we got an all-male cast (rehearsing got much easier) drawn from the Engineering, Science, and Medical Faculties. We won the competition hands down. A few days later we shocked one of the judges when we had a postmortem of all the plays (the two other judges were from outside Peradeniya, this guy, Richard Burge, was a Brit studying Water Bffaloes for his PhD. He had been in the prestigious British Youth Theatre). We said that we really had a “Board of Directors” – I was sent up for the prize hoping it would help my future and because I had made a humble contribution! Our Lighting Guy read tomes on the subject and later was asked to find ways of spending a huge amount of money available for improving the E.O.E. Perera Theatre in the E-Fac.. Another guy, now a Professor, knew he couldn’t act because he spoke too fast, and settled for just carrying props on to the stage – but was present at every rehearsal.
Get what I mean?
/
Sinhala_Man / March 25, 2017
Nipuna Jeewanthaka Wadimuna,
I’ve made a mistake about the authorship of the play!
A line from the play, Me Mackenna by Don Shaw
‘Nobody beats me, Mackenna… not the officers, not the flames of hell, not even God.’
Discovered here:
http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/79511d87bb424fa99dfbbe3785d5f3d6
This is a full profile of the playwright:
http://s285681191.websitehome.co.uk/doomwatchdonshaw.html
More information about the play here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0721107/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
There are some photographs to be seen of a British production of the play in 1984. I don’t think that we have got even photographs of our production (cameras required film rolls in those days). Perhps we should have made a video film of it – on VHS, which was developed by JVC. It wouldn’t have lasted this long, of course, unless transformed in to some other format. Those VHS cassettes used to collect a lot of fungi
I may be able to tell you more about the actual production, and why it was relevant – that’s if anyone reads all this!.
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Jagath Fernando / March 25, 2017
Dear Pera students
Get on with life and studies. Thank your lucky stars that the tax paying public is funding your medical education. Most of you have got in because of a loop hole in the system and a crazy system where students with lower marks get in due to district quota system. There are many under privileged schools in Colombo and they’re discriminated.
Further, don’t be selfish when students who could not get in to state medical faculties due to limited capacity wants to peruse medical education by paying for it either at SAITM or at a future Manipal university in Sri Lanka. Don’t be hypocrits.
Every child has a right to education and the wag they are funded is a secondary matter.
There will never be a society where everyone is equal and hence get on with life.
Jagath
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VH / March 25, 2017
Dear Mr Jagath,
I assure you medical students would like nothing more than to get on with their lives and studies. You must know they don’t enjoy wasting their youth fighting a war that’s not even directly their problem, pushing back their lives by years and risking their entire career.
They do thank their lucky stars for the free education they receive, like every other student who qualified to enter a state university. But that’s where you start to lose your thread of logic. The district quota system is far from perfect, but it’s the best system so far to equal the playing field for children from places like kilonochchi and thalaimannar who have to work ten times as hard for the same results as those from uptown Colombo without resources, staff and battling crippling poverty. If you have a better solution, by all means sir, let’s hear it.
They’re selfish? What would they lose if a bunch of subpar mbbs holders flood the market? Whether or not anyone pays for their education is of no importance. It is the MERIT that counts. If a future Manipal university will admit those ‘discriminated’ students your heart is aching for, those who miss medical entrance by a point or two, and provide them with a training that can produce quality graduates, trust me sir, you want hear a peep out of state medical students.
Sure, everyone has the right to education, so go learn wherever and whatever you want. But if you want to deal with human lives, if you want to enter a profession, you have to be qualified.
Finally, let me congratulate you on your bravery in willing to put your life into a SAITM graduates hand one day coz after all, you wouldn’t go to a hypocrite now would you?
/
old codger / March 25, 2017
Mr.VH,
“They’re selfish? What would they lose if a bunch of subpar mbbs holders flood the market?”
In my opinion, dear VH, that IS the question. You would lose if there is competition, wouldn’t you? And about being sub-par, have you never heard of the Professor of paediatrics who was sued by a lawyer over the death of his child, and lost? Or the “qualified ” surgeon who operated on the wrong limb last year?
“But if you want to deal with human lives, if you want to enter a profession you have to be qualified. “
If that is your criterion, then even bus drivers will need 6 years of university!
Come off it, would you want to be a doctor if you didn’t have private practice, duty-free cars, status and the rest of it?
Straight answer please.
“Finally, let me congratulate you on your bravery in willing to put your life into a SAITM graduates hand one day coz after all, you wouldn’t go to a hypocrite now would you? “
Yes, very nicely put, but aren’t the lecturers at SAITM mostly the same people who teach you? And don’t give us that B.S about clinical training. It is the GMOA itself which prevents that.
In case you think I’m biased, yes I am biased against upper-class twits from SAITM conducting propaganda campaigns AND I am also biased against hypocritical medics who think nothing of going on strike to get their children into good schools.
/
maalumiris / March 25, 2017
@VH
Oh My !!… so you are saying that Uni Medical Graduates are next to God and are infallible and have the interests of the public at heart ??
Go On!!… pull the other one, why don’t you ??
You Uni guys are so smug and think Free Education is your Birthright ??? Think Again !
You guys take our hard-earned rupees, spend years wasting time in politics, strikes and defacing our institutions instead of getting on with your studies and finally after you pass out, take that taxpayer-funded education and go and do Channeling Practice for which I have to pay ALL OVER AGAIN because you spend one hour in the government hospital where you are supposed to work and 10 hours in your Channeling Practice
And you dare to call us Hypocrites ???
If you guys are Oh-So-Qualified, how come most of you run off to the UK or Australia or the US to get even more ???
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HT99 / March 25, 2017
@maalumiris
I agree with you for the most part. Uni Medical Graduates are not next to God. They don’t have the interests of the public at heart. If someone is wasting public money it’s definitely not acceptable and should be looked into.
But how come SAITM students be an exception. They’ll only aggravate your suffering as you have mentioned. They got a deficit of 10 million Ruppees to regain when they start off practising; besides making profits.
I disagree with you on one thing; Free education is a birth-right for anyone born in this country.
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maalumiris / March 26, 2017
@HT99
To clarify
I am all for Primary and Secondary Free Education. Tertiary Free Education must undergo a serious re-think.
Believe me, all this nonsense will stop when the University or Government starts extracting some hard cash from them. The realization will dawn that what they are now getting for free (and CLEARLY don’t appreciate), actually costs someone a hefty sum every day regardless of their performance.
I am not going to debate the merits or Uni or of SAITM. If SAITM goes down the toilet, I have no problem with it (as long as my tax rupees are not used to bail them out). These are the risks of dipping ones feet in free market education. There are a hundred other questionable private institutions out there offering all manner of things. People are free to spend and attend
I am unsure whether you recall the merry dance that these very same Uni guys did when the NCMC came to be. It was a trip down memory lane.
“NCMC is rubbish”
“NCMC Doctors are rubbish and will mean a slow death for any of their patients”
“NCMC Degree is rubbish”
…. and so on
These clowns are guarding what they believe to be their Private Preserve and the credo “Medicine in SL must ONLY be practiced by a SL University Graduate and None Other”
That’s BS and I am sure you will agree
Regards
/
old codger / March 26, 2017
Dear HT99,
” They got a deficit of 10 million Ruppees to regain when they start off practising; besides making profits.”
Do the sums please. At 2000 bucks an hour, it would take them just 200 ten-hour days to recoup. Can you see why their parents want them to be doctors?
” Free education is a birth-right for anyone born in this country. “
Sure , as long as you remember that someone else pays for it with exorbitant prices for milk-tea or parippu.
/
leon / March 25, 2017
saitm students and the fraudulent institute trying to fool the society
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HT99 / March 25, 2017
Why would they?
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watcher / March 25, 2017
Each student has a story different from others. You reflect your own fears of being victimized. If you are GENUINE AND SPEAK TRUTH, why doesn’t your group agree to extend a hand of friendship to SAITM as fellow students. Invite them for a cricket match and show hospitality as you are the only residential uni. You will not be hammered by anyone as there is law and order in this country Set a good example of what doctors should be to society to both cure and teach, to help and be kind and of good character. All your book learning or boycotting classes will get you nowhere if you have intelligence to understand. Lock up LW
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Maharage, Nimal / March 25, 2017
Nipuna, you don’t look like a genuine rustic product of Medawachchiya. The language you tolk and the appearance you wear defy any conceivable image of a rustic boy from Medawachchia. My father worked as a government employee in Madawachchia and Padaviya for 20 years and I lived there with him and I know the conditions in those locations are not fertile to produce a “genteel” urban creature like you. The truth is that your parents have planted you there or mobilized their resources to send you for best tuition classes in urban centers to increase your chances for entering medical faculty. This is public knowledge that sophisticated professionals or rich folks from urban centres are adept at planting their kids in remote areas for this purpose and your case seems to a typical example of this practice.
Most of the Medical undergrads, whether from Peradeniya or other Sri Lankan universities turn out to be blood sucking morons devoid of compassion or sense of commitment to poor masses and I am sorry you will be one of them in a short time. We know the quality of medical education and the profession in Sri Lanka compared to developed countries is at despicable standards. Can you tell me how many doctors in Sri Lanka at least take time to read a medical research journal or a book other than running a small clinic or going after channeling practice and fighting for duty free cars. Look at the high incidence of medical negligence committed by doctors in Sri Lanka and their ability to manipulate the cases to get away with impunity thanks to lack of pertinent laws and enforcement. if Sri Lankan doctors practice their profession in the way they do in a developed country, I bet, 90% of them would spend the rest of their life behind bars for the crimes they commit or medical negligence.
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CC / March 25, 2017
What can say about judging a book by a cover??? You have done it in both of your paragraphs. Well, I personally know about the author and i can assure you that he was not ‘planted’ there.
And please revisit the topic about those ‘dispicable standards’ and see where we stand as a third world, developing county among other developing countries including India. In fact check out Maternal Morality Rate compared to ‘Developed’ countires. Or just have a chat with a doctor about that, Im sure you have at least one doctor friend.
And about the neglegence, youll acually be surprised about the number of neglegence that take place, matter of fact you are aware of the stats because they all get especiall attention in the media because they are rare and limited. Indian media does not even bother to telecast a negligence, simply because they are bored.
Btw, doctors fought to keep what they had, make no mistake they did not ask for more. I cannot see how this gets more attention than MPs oredering 40 million land cruisers.
/
romani / March 26, 2017
CC,
” In fact check out Maternal Morality Rate compared to ‘Developed’ countires”
No dear, I have no information on immoral mothers . Do they sleep with other men?
/
maalumiris / March 27, 2017
“Maternal Morality Rate compared to ‘Developed’ countires”
Solely due to the efforts of SL University Graduates ??
No government involved in building hospitals ? Purchasing medicine ? Distributing it ?
No PH Nurse-Midwives involved at all ?
Is that what you are claiming ??
Truly, you University guys arrogance is breathtaking !!!
And by the way, you doctors also order your duty-free permits
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HT99 / March 25, 2017
Nice one.. Hilarious!!! Kudos Nimal
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Sajith / March 25, 2017
For the people who are speaking for SAITM. In simple words that institute is not good enough, and they have been given so many chances to up their standards but still its trying to squeeze through loopholes, rather than walking the extra mile and make it a better place for their students. Its obvious that it has political influences and the sole idea of making profits in the easiest way pissible. Otherwise WHY DID THEY RECRUIT STUDENTS WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A PROPER WAY OF PROVIDING CLINICAL PRACTICE? AT LEAST THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED. Still they don’t.
People who are shouting against it have no personal vandetta against the students there. There are people who have the basic qualifications and they should arrange something for those students. Ideally proper clinical practice and a bar exam would do. Others who doesn’t meet those criteria can be awarded a backup BSc degree depending on what they have learnt so far. (Like most universities do)
As for this institute, more than enough chances were given. Dropping all the stigmata about the doctors acting like a different species, I think we all have to agree that dealing with a human life is a delicate thing. Even after so many years of practice, still there are so many things that could go wrong. So is it justifiable allowing a certain group of people to play with human lives just because they “liked it” and just because it was their “dream”?
And they were also informed by the SLMC with several notices, NOT TO ENROLL in this institute. They took the risk. Why? Why would a student get enrolled in a medical faculty which doesn’t even had a proper teaching hospital if they really wanted to learn medicine from the best way possible? Learning medicine is not an achievement, a toy. Not another tick in a to do list. Its a responsibility. If someone can wrap their head around it they will be able to see.
Right for life aces right for education.
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maalumiris / March 28, 2017
“In simple words that institute is not good enough”
And who are you do make this grandiose pronouncement ? Are you an educator ? Are you an education-policy consultant ? Or are you a Uni student in fear of a spot of competition ?
“WHY DID THEY RECRUIT STUDENTS WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A PROPER WAY OF PROVIDING CLINICAL PRACTICE”
Surely that’s their business ? If, at the end of the program, the students have no place to do clinical practice, let the SAITM handle the wrath of the government, parents and students. You don’t have to weep for them.
“And they were also informed by the SLMC with several notices, NOT TO ENROLL in this institute. They took the risk. Why?
Because it’s a free country and it’s a risk they are obviously willing to take. Instead of joining the University full of people like you who spend more time politicking, ragging, complaining and moaning about one thing or another – anything but studying.
At the end of the day, you DO realise that most of these SAITM students will end up going abroad to complete their degrees and will be doctors WAY before any of you complaining lot even get started, right ?
Meanwhile, you will still be defacing University buildings and going on strike for the next fashionable “Cause”.
AND if and when they return, they WILL end up taking the plum jobs away from you. So you guys and the SLMC and are just shooting yourselves in the foot with this.
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Sajith / March 25, 2017
For the people who are speaking for SAITM.
In simpler words that institute is not good enough, and they have been given so many chances to up their standards but still its trying to squeeze through loopholes, rather than walking the extra mile and make it a better place for their students. Its obvious that it has political influences and the sole idea of making profits in the easiest way pissible. Otherwise WHY DID THEY RECRUIT STUDENTS WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A PROPER WAY OF PROVIDING CLINICAL PRACTICE IN THE FIRST PLACE? AT LEAST THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED. Still they don’t.
People who are shouting against it have no personal vandetta against the students there. There are people who have the basic qualifications and they should arrange something for those students. Ideally proper clinical practice (Not hillarious suggestions like 4 months of clinical practice.. A PROPER one) and a bar exam would do. Others who doesn’t meet those criteria can be awarded a backup BSc degree depending on what they have learnt so far. (Like most universities do)
As for this institute, more than enough chances were given. Dropping all the stigmata about the doctors acting like a different species, I think we all have to agree that dealing with a human life is a delicate thing. Even after so many years of practice, still there are so many things that could go wrong. So is it justifiable allowing a certain group of people to play with human lives just because they “liked it” and just because it was their “dream”?
And they were also informed by the SLMC with several notices, NOT TO ENROLL in this institute. They took the risk. Why? Why would a student get enrolled in a medical faculty which doesn’t even had a proper teaching hospital if they really wanted to learn medicine from the best way possible? Its obvious that the majority wanted to get it the easiest way possible. And why do they stand by this institute even today after getting into so many bumps on the way. If they wanted standards what they should do is GETTING TOGETHER WITH THE STATE UNIVERSITIES ASKING TO GAZZETTE MINIMUM STANDARDS.WHY AREN’T THEY DOING THAT? ARE THEY AFRAID OF SOMETHING?
Learning medicine is not an achievement, a toy. Not another tick in a to do list. Its a responsibility. If someone can wrap their head around it they will be able to see.
Right for life aces right for education.
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Shrikharan / March 30, 2017
Sajith
“they have been given so many chances to up their standards”
What enough chance were given. They were given the Awisawella hospital was granted for clinical training but GMOA obstructed and prevented students coming there using thuggery. So this is what you say chances. You obstruct all the way and tell SAITM students were provided with ample chances.
Please have the facts and speak. SAITM has a 1001 bed hospital which KDU did not have still does not have a hospital. What facilities do the Rajarata medical faculty or Batticaloa faculty have.
Remember most students in SAITM have got better results that the state medical as except a few most students are admitted on the sympathy admission scheme just because they call themselves ‘underprivileged’ students. Most students of these faculties cannot speak fluently and a 8th grade student of a good school can speak much better.
The respect doctors once had is now no more as the class of people entering the medical faculty due to the sympathy district basis scheme with poor results displacing many from the so called privileged schools with very good results has produced doctors of poor quality, low class and with wrong attitudes and do not blame the SAITM students for it.
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Eusense / March 26, 2017
Colombo Telegraph,
This is the second author who proclaims the article written by “Sarath Bandara” is a fake story. CT should not publish articles that are fake and inflame readers that could lead to sad consequences. Please, take an effort to authenticate authors and articles that you receive for publication. I am now more inclined to think that anti-Sri Lanakan, pro Tamil terror and pro separatist articles you publish are mostly written by Tamil terrorist. You frequently publish articles written by one “Thisaranee Gunasekara” which I now believe is a fictional author. Please clarify.
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K.Pillai / March 26, 2017
Eusense: “……….. You frequently publish articles written by one “Thisaranee Gunasekara” which I now believe is a fictional author. …………”
HLD Mahindapala is real? All because he writes what you want to hear.
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Eusense / March 26, 2017
K pillai
I know Mahindapala is a real person. He can be searched in the media to confirm this. I am writing about fake authors who can’t be traced. I don’t care what they write but they should identify themselves with a short biography.
That is real journalism.
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Shrikharan / March 29, 2017
Eusense
Is Eusense a real person?
Thisaranee Gunasekara is fake then Eusensse is also fake.
I have never heard a name called Eusense!
In the same way you, the real person behind Eusense faked your name fro various reasons, Thisaranee Gunasekara also might have faked her real name.
If you do not have the courage to place your real name why are you blaming others for the same? However I apologize if you do prove you are you and your name in your birth certificate is Eusense!
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