28 March, 2024

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My SAITM Story

By Shabnam Sambriya Wallin

Shabnam Sambriya Wallin

I am Shabnam Sambriya Wallin, a final year Medical student from the 5th batch (the 1st batch to be UGC approved) of the Faculty of Medicine at SAITM. I completed my secondary education at a leading International Girls’ School here in Colombo where I sat for my Edexcel London Ordinary and Advanced Levels.

The decision to go through a private education system was not something that I made but I’m very grateful to both my parents and teachers for opening up a world of opportunities to me. Yes, my primary and secondary education were not free but only my parents and I are aware of the struggle of paying for each term. Although I did quite well in the Commerce subjects I made the choice to go through the Science stream because my goal was to become a Gynecologist.

Despite being in the private education system I sat for the Local Ordinary levels in Grade 9 (without any tutoring or formal lessons in the local syllabus) where I chose 6 subjects and scored 4As and 2Cs. Following this I sat for my Edexcel Ordinary level with 7 subjects scoring 5 As, 1 B and 1 C.

For my Advanced Levels I did 4 subjects (Core Mathematics/Mechanics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry) where I got a fairly good result of 1 A, B and 2 Cs – Which without doubt qualify me to do MBBS in a foreign university.

The reason I’m being completely transparent with my results as well as the details of high school education is because I want to challenge the false propaganda that “SAITM takes in under-qualified students”.

We all dream. Some of them are achievable and some are not. One such dream of mine was to become a doctor. This was a choice that I made and NOT a career path that my parents picked out for me. This choice was driven by some traumatizing events that I went through in my early years. First it was the loss of my younger sister, Mushira who passed away with a congenital heart defect (“hole in the heart” was what my parents were told which I now know is the Fallot’s Tetralogy). Even though this happened during my childhood, I still remember the feeling of sheer helplessness that came with not being able to do anything while you lose a loved one before your very eyes. 
Then in 2010, loss struck again when I witnessed the death of my cousin who drowned. And again, I felt helpless even though I wanted to do something to save her.

A student like me who went through the private school system here in Sri Lanka cannot enter a State University since I’ve done my Edexcel Examinations. Nor can I afford to pursue a higher education abroad because of both the costs involved and because of my parents. This leaves students like me in a very tough position where we are forced to abandon our dreams of not just a higher education and a career here in Sri Lanka.

SAITM was my last and only resort – The only solution to an education system that has continued to sideline private school students who want to pursue an education in our birth country.
 Why do the State University students and the GMOA try to sweep us aside as though we don’t belong in this country? Why do they withhold our RIGHT to an education? Why do they make it seem like OUR CHOICE OF SERVING THIS COUNTRY a crime?

Studying medicine isn’t a bed of roses. Everybody knows that. We have been let down a numerous time by the majority who have misunderstood the two terms ‘Free Education’ and ‘Freedom of Education’! 
The blessing in disguise is that we are being taught by amazing consultants themselves. If we have mastered one thing so far, it sure is PATIENCE. Do I regret coming to SAITM……ABSOLUTELY NOT! We need more private universities like this so that all students who want to pursue their higher education can do so fearlessly in this country without having to flee abroad for good.

#MySAITMStory#මගේSAITMකතාව

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Latest comments

  • 11
    4

    For my Advanced Levels I did 4 subjects (Core Mathematics/Mechanics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry) where I got a fairly good result of 1 A, B and 2 Cs – Which without doubt qualify me to do MBBS in a foreign university.

    Sri lankan system is ruled by greedy and dumb and incpmpetant politicians. All other Sri lankans are suffering. It is a screwed up system in which gevala perethaya – Politician is the almighty creator. of every thing.

    On the other hand, there are many medical colleges, they have different requirements. Now, prestigious type of schools need more than the educational qualifications.

    It is like selecting a beauty queen. the beauty alone is not enough to be a beauty queen. they looks for brains too.

    With proper check and balances Sri lanka can fulfill it’s doctor requirement with SAITM. Even the students who just passed from the normal school system have advanced to senior levels of medical profession.

    • 6
      3

      @Jim softy,

      I really do no understand your position. Some articles you say the foreign exams are inferior and goes to boast about the superiority of Sri lankan A/L and Now you have toned down to support them which we dearly welcome.

      Did you Sinhala_man convince you enough? :) ( smile face)

    • 5
      1

      If I were you – I would have filed a case against UGC.

      Please do so. There, you will see, what kind of rights you possess as a citizen of this thugs dominated country.

      UGC is the highest body in the country to have approved your degree.If my info are correct, they have interviewed each of you at the time, enrollment to the college is made.

      Alone the fact them to have misguided you is a punishable act according to lanken law. Please contact your lawers and sue them.

    • 3
      0

      Dear Ms.Shabnam Sambriya Wallin

      RE: My SAITM Story

      “The reason I’m being completely transparent with my results as well as the details of high school education is because I want to challenge the false propaganda that “SAITM takes in under-qualified students”.

      For those against private MEDICAL universities, WHY ONLY MEDICINE? WHY ONLY SAITM? What about the thousands graduating from international schools?

      The Issue is Castism, Hegemony of SLMC and GMOA.. All the other arguments are distractions.

      There are Private Hospitals. Why not Ban Private hospitals? Because they are making money foe whom? Doctors.

      It is about retaining their franchise to charge patients, cast-ism and greed, at the expense of the country and the populace.

      The People are with you, and the Courts are with you. The Patients want treatment, Right now, the Doctors trained with Tax payer’s money, work for a salary in the Govt, Hospitals, and then work for Private hospitals who pay more, and the patients pay more.

      Only the poor, who cannot afford go to Govt. hospitals.

      Expose, expose and expose the SLMC and GMOA Mafia. Are the Mafia working in Private Hospitals in order to fleece the populace?

    • 0
      0

      jim_softly

      How come the rapid flip-flop in your attitude to SAITM ?

      Why are you confusing us ?

  • 11
    4

    This is the fifth article with the same title (one was in Sinhala – which was sensible). Yes, I’m sure that your case has been well stated.

    I have already suggested that any future articles should be written more creatively. What you say is fine and valid, but it may turn in to a joke.

    Be grateful to Colombo Telegraph for helping you with this campaign. I won’t under-estimate you. I guess you must have read all the comments made on the other “stories”. Have you not learnt from them? If you have, then try to write for the Sinhala and Tamil reading public in newspapers.

    I was vaguely critical of SAITM; I still am, I guess, of the institution. But my attitude towards you, the students has undergone a sea change.

    You’ve stressed your “complete transparency” but withheld the name of your school. Why? We’d like, in passing, to know what these schools are like.

    None of these things that I’ve said is meant to be a searing criticism, but let this parade not be one that stretches out to the . . . oh dear can’t remember what Macbeth said of Banquo’s descendants! Dammit, I’ve spent hours on you kids, and it’s time to sleep.

    By the way, what are your thoughts on two other topics: MMDA, and the Jaffna University V.c. stakes? We’ve got to be concerned about the entirety of our society.

  • 11
    2

    I’m supporting you fully . I have been reading both sides of this arguements for some weeks now. I have heard enough from both sides. Proponents and opponents of private medical colleges have indeed put some of vibrant arguments. This shows how sri Lankan people are cleaver enough to gauge this issue from both perspectives..
    I do not need to repeat all arguements here. But in my view arguements of Proponents of private medical colleges overweight opponents arguements.
    How and why may need some logical reasoning..
    I was going to write a full account of that but I could not do yet…May be soon …inshallah…

    • 8
      5

      The problem is NOT with private medical colleges. The problem is with SAITM which is a fraud

      • 3
        2

        Sach, what’s your proof that SAITM is fraud?

        The biggest fraud is the free education Med School – using tax payers money, going on strike and depriving these tax-payers from healthcare, and charging the very people exhorbitant fees who paid for their education.

        And, these free-loading doctors sending their children to private universities abroad and working abroad.

        When you pay for a med school, we call them fraud. How rude!

      • 1
        1

        sach

        Got proof ? Or being a good Sri Lankan, you believe something that you heard and are willing to repeat it in public like a parrot ?

        Goraka is right – the biggest avenue for fraud is the free medical school funded by OUR tax rupees. These Free-Educated doctors’ pass from it and then merrily start a private practice.

        THAT is the fraud.

    • 2
      1

      Rifai
      I don’t know whether you are a physician or not. If a physician, I am surprised that you are praising proponents and opponents of private medical colleges rather than stressing the impotence of obtaining accreditation from the medical body which grant accreditation. Its no secret that more medical colleges are useful provided that they are accredited and ensure registration to practice medicine.

  • 3
    10

    It is incorrect to say that a student who went through private schools cannot enter state university. UGC has reserved 0.5 percent for them. You have to be the best of bests to get medicine, same tough competition applies to government school children also. If 0.5 is not enough, you have to take it up with UGC without opening your own university.

    • 1
      4

      My friends, those are for children who have followed the local syllabus. Those who followed the london exams cannot get in. The government should not have allowed allowed international schools with external exams if it is not willing to accept them. The only option left is SAITM or KDU for medical graduates. If they join KDU, they have to serve in the army. All other courses are offered in primate degree awarding institutes. Why is medicine the ONLY sacred cow? Don’t tell me that they have to maintain standards. It doesn’t happen in state universities. Talk to Rajarata, eastern and other university graduates in confidence

      • 4
        2

        You are misleading. The 0.5% reservation includes foreign exam qualified students. One of my friend’s daughter who passed Cambridge exam got admission to Peradeniya medical faculty. They charge Rs 500,000.00 per year. I agree, this percentage is very low. The international schools and expatriate parents should campaign to increase it.

        Why medicine is sacred cow? Computer hard-disk replacing and heart surgery are not the same. The emergence of private medical colleges will have direct impact, naturally adverse, on the lives of majority poor people of Sri Lanka. The rich people of Sri Lanka live in a different world. They do not care about increasing medical costs. But the majority has to do.

      • 1
        0

        Hilmy Ahamed

        Why is medicine the ONLY sacred cow? Don’t tell me that they have to maintain standards.

        there is one argument against you.

        there is a joke which says “pass an agriculture student some plants would die. Pass a medical student some humans will die.”

        So, you need to understand why medicine is treated differently.

    • 5
      1

      I say; most students go abroad to study because they cannot admit local universities. And they cannot admit simply because there is a do or die competition. If those who qualify abroad in fee levying collages can come back and sit for an exam and practice here why not they are allowed to study in a fee levying collage here. Moreover, if private medical collages are good for Malaysia, Nepal, India, UK and many other countries, surely, it cannot be bad for Sri Lanka. The other point, UCG allocation of 0.5% for private schools is a silly response to reject the argument that there should be private medical colleges in Sri Lanka. If the government open medical collages for fee paying students who otherwise would have gone abroad may be there is some logic to restrict private collages.

      • 3
        1

        The number of foreign qualified doctors had never been a threat to the affordable medical care system of Sri Lanka. But SAITM will open a can of selfish worms.

        If you go to Bangkok to have sex, it doesn’t mean we have to allow you to open your own brothel here, got it?

      • 1
        0

        Good argument.

        but foreign studied doctors face a exam here and a viva to prove their capabilities. But SITAM is vigorously against letting their students facing that exam. Yes, the act only specifies the foreign medical graduates, not the local medical students, However, it eventually gives a validation to the graduates from the gov’t body.

        I would support SAITM or any other such universities, only if they agree to go thru that exam

    • 6
      3

      Villageman,

      What can you do with 0.5%? If 1000 apply, only 5 are allowed to pay and study. Tell them to stick the 0.5% up their ass. Higher education is a basic right of every student.

      The SL government has allowed private International schools in Sri Lanka and a large percentage of the students in these school come from middle class families whose parents are mostly salary earners managing with difficulty to give their children a better English education/future. What will happen to these students when they complete their secondary education and opt for higher studies?

      What about the children of the Mid-East expatriates who either are studying in Sri Lankan schools there (if available) or in foreign schools? Where can they go for higher studies? Those parents who can afford send their children to foreign universities (they stop sending money/foreign exchange to Sri Lanka) but what about those who cannot afford. What is the plight of these children?

      If you have the money, anybody and everybody in Sri Lanka with 3 credit passes in A/L bio-science can go to private medical colleges in Russia, China, Bangladesh, and Nepal and come back to Sri Lanka as doctors. However, you get a pain in your ass the moment private medical colleges are opened in Sri Lanka.

      Why should we spend huge amount of foreign exchange and send our children to private medical colleges in Russia, China, Bangladesh, and Nepal? Why cannot we have similar private medical colleges in Sri Lanka which will at least reduce the foreign exchange spent and will provide a secure atmosphere for our children?

      The main reason is, not only the UGC but the students and academics of the state universities know very well that all the mistakes or rather blunders of the state universities will come to light and obviously the standard and quality of the private universities will be way ahead than the state universities (as we saw from the students of former Ragama private medical college), thereby the value of the state university degrees will gradually see depletion. In other words, the state universities will have competitors and hence will need to strive hard to increase their own standards, to match the Private Universities.

      It is the UGC and some good for nothing academics who brainwash the students with their fallacy that by introducing private universities, the government will finally end up in the privatization of the country’s entire free education system, and only those with affluent backgrounds will get the priority and also the non-state universities will further encroach on job opportunities available for graduates from state universities.

      They are not only depriving one of the basic rights of those students who also deserve higher education and a degree, but also a well-educated work force from which the country can benefit.

  • 11
    5

    Well articulated girl. Hope that this reaches the hearts of the brutal GMOA goons

  • 7
    7

    Guess good grades are not enough for a student to enter public medical school. Lankan system takes in students according to quota system per province/city/watta so on. Good and noble thing, as this will ensure that doctors will remain in his/her locality and administer to the masses. Correct way to go. But obviously SLMA is not doing too good a job of it, as Ranil intends/intended to import in 10,000 Indian doctors.

    Last thing that is needed for the country is for bunch of SAITM to set up shop solely in affluent parts of Colombo and start the Medical Commercial Business to further exacerbate inflation of the Lankan Rupee. Therefore it is hoped that Staim students will exonerate themselves (for going against the national trend) by signing bonds and pledges to work in gamaya places.

  • 8
    15

    Not another SAITM ‘My Story’! Yes,as hell!

    Readers of these stories can clearly see the pattern now. Arrogant parents (with money) who found the local school system not good enough for their children sent them right through the so-called INTERNATIONAL school system. Theyhave become members of a COOL generation who wear nothing but denims and t-shirts, have mobile phone implants, selfie-mad, smoke, frequent night clubs and want nothing to do with children from local schools. They are too stupid to see that there parents have money, but no CLASS!

    Now they expect to go through a crappy private medical school system (crying poor that they cant go to foreign medical schools) and become DOCTORS to treat the poor of Sri Lanka. Not out of compassion just because they believe they are BORNE to occupy this respected profession.

    This young lady named Ms Wallin (Note the American name and read Wikipedia on the Wallin family history!) says she developed an interest in medicine after seeing her sibling die of a hole in the heart and another cousin drown. Hope they taught her at SAITM that the human kind have still not managed to avoid DEATH, and Ms Wallin, trained at SAITM is unlikely to be the one to breakthrough.

    SAD.

    • 5
      5

      No wonder you are a FORMER DOCTOR, because you don’t seem to understand medicine. Research has been able to help perform miracles in medicine and so much is still unknow. Smart children who take up medicine at SAITM or other hellholes in state universities could one day change the health world. Dont underestimate them and PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE A FORMER DOCTOR

    • 3
      6

      How the hell are you to insult on her pedigree. Your name should read as Dostaralagelevakana Booruwage gedara Samuel Haraka,

    • 2
      1

      Whether we have doctors or not the entire population of the world just over seven billion will die during the next 120 years including the children born today.Where the former doctor failed with better facilities to find a cure for death its unfair to entrust the job to a young SAITAM.

    • 6
      6

      Former Doctor, now a bus ConDoctor,

      This fellow sounds like just another uncivilized villageman.

      He begins with his jealously towards the International schools as if they are some kind of illegal establishments.

      Even if he goes to his remote village, he can see posters on the walls saying ‘Spoken English’ classes. English is an important universal/International language spoken/understood in most parts of the world. Today everybody need English. Every Sri Lankan (including this hypocrite) strives hard to learn English. International schools are just an extension of this urge. More than 90% of the students in International schools are Sri Lankans, WHY? Because the local schools are unable to provide a good quality/standard English Education. Every Sri Lankan (including this so called Doctor) will learn English if he/she can afford.

      If this idiot had tried to go and see those parents who send their children to International schools, a large percentage of them are NOT arrogant parents (with money) but parents from middle class families, mostly salary earners managing with difficulty to give their children a better English education/future.

      The present generation is completely different from our generation, this uncivilized remote village idiot seems to be suffering from a pain in the ass whenever he sees cool young generation wearing denims and t-shirt and taking a selfie on their mobile.
      His jealousy is oozing out from every part of his body.
      More than everything, he seems to be jealous of this young lady because she has an American name.
      Unfortunately, we Sri Lankans have to put up with this kind of uncivilized undesirable Animals in human form.

      If he was a doctor as he says (not sure animal or human), only God would have saved his patients.

      • 4
        2

        The Citizen, you are too much worried about other’s ass, better check yours first because you remember ass every other minute, there must be something wrong in it. Be mindful not to go to a SAITM doctor, otherwise the rich kids will put the gadget into it.

        • 1
          2

          Villageman is just another uncivilized idiot who is jealous of well-to-do people in the country. He wants to grab everything free from the government, medicine, education, etc. Whenever people talk about paid education, he gets a pain in his ass as if a thorny rod is entering. This kind of green eyed monsters are a curse to this country. It is unfortunate that we have to put up with such animals in human form.

          • 2
            1

            Oh poor The Citizen, still you didn’t take your medicine. Go, have a life.

    • 0
      3

      Thank God you are a former doctor. The medical world is already a better place. Please, please do not be tempted to come out of retirement, or to get yourself disbarred.

    • 0
      1

      Its funny how wearing denims and t shirts have become a crime now when the so called modest saree leaves little to the imagination. Your perception on international school students could not be more wrong parents send children to international schools for various other reasons, for instance it might be the nearest school or may be these children migrated from abroad. And before you speak of other people’s class i hope you re read your own text and make a judgement on your own class

  • 8
    1

    The qualifications, professional standard and recognition required to practice a profession is a separate matter altogether, which should not be confused with the “freedom of education”.

  • 9
    4

    SAITM fulfilled desperate aspiration of many students who were left high and dry because of quota uni admissions and obstruction of maniacal trade unions. Justice has to be given to them in this chaos created to topple the govt. in view of forthcoming elections. Innocent students should not suffer for devils to live

  • 4
    6

    When a private, profit-oriented, education-business institution has been cheating the rules, requirements, regulation, systems, quality and students from its inception, how do you expect the same profit-oriented institution will ensure quality of medical education and produce qualified medical practitioner?

    What these private, profit-oriented, education-business institutions need is “Maximizing Profit” in the expense of students’ future and county’s medical standard.

  • 11
    0

    Looks like every single student of SAITM will have a similiar story to tell and they would not be any different from the other.

    As a person who has no personal stake in the issue(like most of us in this country) let this be said .WE have no issues about Private Education in the country including Medicine as long as they conform to accepted norms and Professional standards as stipulated by the relevant Authorities.

    If there are any shortcomings on the part of SAITM it is the responsibility of their Management to accept it and make them right instead of trying to hide behind Legal directives.On the other hand it is equally required of SLMC as well to ensure a fair hearing is given to SAITM issue rather than being biased.

    Let sanity prevail

  • 7
    6

    The quality of students entering programmes in private institutions is determined, at all times, by their paying capacity rather than merit. Private institutions offering medical degrees cater only to the ‘rich’ among those who miss out on entering state-owned institutions, and routinely set lax minimum standards of admission to serve that purpose. The result of such a system would be fundamentally and inherently unfair, and is likely to compromise standards of health care in the long term.”

    – Dr Kamal Wickremasinghe

  • 8
    6

    Colombo telegraph : being for all fair reporting why don’t you publish some #myunistory as well…

    Instead of the high class posh kids from Colombo talking about their struggle with poverty, publish a story of a university student from rikillagaskada. Then you will understand what real poverty is.

    Find the story how these students worked while in school to make some extra money for their families.

    Find the story how they could not afford tuitions but yet came out to be the top of their schools….

    Find the story how they survived a month from rs. 2000 given from mahapola, and yet managed to send some home.

    Find out the struggle they go through when they enter medical faculty and everything is in English all of a sudden…! Find out how they get through that obstacle of learning a new language within three months!

    Find the story how tough those exams in uni were, how many times they were shouted at infront of patients by the teachers, and how many sleepless nights they spent in a wars monitoring a dengue patient!

    So don’t be partial…! Most of the students who have a my SAITM story do not know what a struggle it is to enter a university and get through an exam….

    That is real journalism!
    This is money driven financial journalism!

    You are promoting your target crowd, the colombo elite!

    Be a journalist for a change !

  • 6
    10

    again same question

    Is there only girls in SAITM? utilizing girls for attracting people. very bad tcatic.

    Be careful girls they might utilize for u all for some other purpose as well

    • 1
      6

      Your brotherly advise not necessary for these well articulated girls you are trying to smear. Don’t forget these will be the decent doctors who will treat you well. Most others are bloodsuckers after money SAITM has no gender bias, but girls always lead the show. look at all the state controlled tents of meds. All girls eagerly waiting for their heroes to come visit and pander

    • 1
      2

      (jungle) silva,

      “again same question

      Is there only girls in SAITM? utilizing girls for attracting people. very bad tcatic.

      Be careful girls they might utilize for u all for some other purpose as well”

      Girls dare out because dickless pons like you cannot penetrate their puberty and boys know that very well.

  • 3
    5

    You are a Maldevian……as such please do not critique Sri Lankan….
    you must present your case to your Govt….

    • 2
      1

      Is that so?

      I know the country fairly well. Things are getting scary there.

  • 6
    1

    There was a Indian film which shows how pvt medical college misuse their students to get medical council permission. They even force their medical students to have sex with authorizing officers. Im scared whether it will happen in SL too. See 1st they commited a drama with CEO when it fails they urge their girls who has some looking to attract public. if its all fail, what next? oh my good!

  • 6
    3

    Even in the conventional ways, AMPs were students who got lower marks from A/L. If they worked as physicians, these students should be able to too.

    But, SAITM had been established in a way to give unfair advantage to those who have money. It is simply money working.

    IT is not the students or their parents fault. they should have some escape route. govt should find some reasonable ground to help these students.

    Simply SAITM Managememtn had tried to take advantage of a business opportunity. gove minister at that time and the govt abused the opportunity by removing SAITM from UGC.

    But, private education should not be this kind of fradulent way to give advantage to those who have money. It is money buying degrees.

  • 3
    1

    The market forces will eventually drive out the Medical Mafia protectionists. It’s a matter of time. Many more private Medical Colleges will emerge in the future as the whole world goes virtual.

  • 3
    0

    People who are against private medical degrees . Please Don’t waste time arguing . when you make an appointment to consult a doctor verify Wether he or she is a Saitem doctor if so ask for a govt doctor . It’s simple as that. You don’t talk on behalf of all of us. You be careful will you. If not Saitem they’ will anyway go overseas and get a degree.
    .so don’t waste time.

  • 6
    1

    Hasini you are right. All these students could have gone abroad and obtained medical degree if SAITM was not there and nobody would be bothered. This is a useless argument.

  • 0
    1

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

  • 1
    1

    SAITM was approved by UGC under the previous government and recently the Appeal Court issued a ruling that their MBBS degrees should be recognised. The appeal by the Medical Council to the Supreme Court should be given top priority.

    The ragging in government funded universities is torture. Students who do not wish to go through this torture which affects the mind and the body require private universities. The government must expedite the Supreme Court hearing and cater to the Human Right for higher education without torture. The approval of Sir John Kotelawela MMBS with lesser facilities provides a legally valid precedent.

  • 2
    0

    I personal know a case from Ampara District:

    Local A/L – 2014, Biological Science, First Attempt
    Results: C,S,S
    District Rank: 350+
    Island Rank: 8000+

    In normal circumstances, the said student won’t even get a chance to get selected to Government Teaching Colleges. But with the support of family wealth, now the student is studying in SAITM and going to serve this country in couple of years.

    For me, its a fair system. Disregard of A/L results, anyone can become doctor and serve the country.

  • 2
    2

    The original name of Neville Fernando’s commercial enterprise was South Asian Institute of Technology.
    This was approved.
    Later the words “and Medicine” were added and the then Minister S.B.Dissanayake gazetted same without obtaining approval from those responsible for medical education.

  • 1
    0

    Is it a crime to have money earned legitimately?. Sri Lankan parents in a country where I am working was wondering where to send his son to do medicine. This was about six years ago. As SAITM was being established with many lecturers from state unis I and my wife recommended SAITM. As the boy had good grades for his A’level thy enrolled him in SAITM. He has now completed the course and is sitting for his final exam. What a mess we have put him in to?. He could have very easily gone to China, Bangladesh, Nepal or any east europeon country and graduated by now if he decided not to spend any money in SL.

    I put the blame squarely on SLMC particularly on that old codger clinging to the chairman’s post. There is no doubt we need private medical colleges as we are not a communist country like Cuba or North Korea. Why did he not try to improve the standards all the while. If he tried and was not able to do so he should have honourably resigned giving reasons. Why was he able to accept KDU and not SAITM. The politicians of JVP and Peratugami are also to blame for wasting students time instead of allowing the uni students to follow lectures and learn something useful. The university days are the most creative period of students life. The creators of Facebook and Snapchat did their initial development work while they were in the unis.
    I think even GOSL is allowing this matter to drag on with a view to divert attention of public from more pressing issues. I wont be surprised if some other country is behind the disruption of our education system.

  • 1
    0

    See what free education has done for Sri Lanka?

    Med students protest instead of going for classes (these are people who will take care of you in future!), Doctors go on strike ignoring patients, they go abroad to make money ignoring the very tax payers who paid for their education, and creating a dearth of doctors to control a demand situation and make more money.

    Ask how many doctors send their kids to private schools and foreign universities? Isn’t it hypocritical.

    Private med school will solve all these problems and will create a free choice for everybody.

  • 1
    0

    Dear Shabnam and the readers,

    1.When we go to the gov hospitals we can observe that how the doctors treat, talk and respond to patients who are the innocent tax payers contributed to free education of GOSL to convert students to doctors.
    2.Other way, the general public can observe that how gov doctors demand unnecessary privileges from foolish rulers of our country.

    By looking at above behavior of doctors, it seems that their campaign is not to protect the patients but to preserve their monopoly in view of getting personnel benefits and the afraid of SAITM doctors who follow an internationally developed syllabus with new technology.

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    Once I took my cat to the vet to be sterilized. The wapara vet first anesthetized the cat and then began looking for the razor that would be used for removing the cat’s fur at the place to be operationed. For several minutes he virtually excavated the place but failed to find it. Then he got on to the road and waled down to the road to purchase a new razor. When he finally arrived with the razor the cat was almost awake! I don’t see much difference between that vet and present day doctors who have been produced by the government universities. They treat the patients like cats and dogs. There must be private medical colleges to discipline the government hospital doctors.

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      what a nonsense are you talking, so, please don’t go to the docotrs in sri lanka, if you or your family is sick , please wait until SAITM produces doctors.

      Can’t believe, such an irrational citizens live in sri lanka

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    “”Yes, my primary and secondary education were not free but only my parents and I are aware of the struggle of paying for each term. “”

    Why did you go to international school? there are good government schools in sri lanka, why did you struggle of paying for each term? joke

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