By Sahani Koralage –
Sahani Koralage
Laying their life story bare in public in order to urge a government to take a policy decision is not something any student, studying anywhere in the world should ever have to face. In the face of wholesale lies that’s been spread around, We; the long suffering students of SAITM had no choice but to do this. This post has absolutely no intention of seeking public sympathy and I humbly request all who are prejudiced otherwise, to kindly not read any further.
#MySAITMStory #මගේSAITMකතාව
I was born as the first child in a middle class family. Luckily enough, to a father who’d do anything in his power to give his daughter the best life possible and to a mother who’s enlightened thousands of students including me in their way forwards in the academic world.
Both my parents being government workers, their collective salary rarely exceeds 60,000/= lkr per month.
I went to a private Montessori (1996-1997) (fee levying) before starting school in 1998. With utmost difficulty my father managed to enroll me in a then prestigious government girl’s collage. For thirteen years since then, I enjoyed ‘free’ education at Viharamaha Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Kiribathgoda. Was it entirely free of charge? No. My father had to spend for various stuff each year.
My parents strongly believed against tuition during the period of my primary education so, as a consequence, I was blessed with the best imaginable childhood filled with storybooks, fruits off the trees I used to climb, skinned knees and a bunch of friends to go crazy with. Up until I finished grade 5 scholarship exam (2002) my parents never made me sit and study anything unless I did it on my own. Having scored 135 where the pass mark was 134, I remember my father doing his first serious talk with me the night of the results day ,amidst the hype of receiving phone calls( 90% of them starting with “අයියෝ අපරාදෙ ටිකක් මහන්සි උනා නම් කොළඹ ඉස්කෝලෙකට යන්න තිබුණා” ) [Which I find strangely similar (and just as disgusting) to “අපරාදෙ තව පාරක් කලා නම් medicine යන්න තිබුණා” that I get from many even today ] But my father told me , “This mark is 100% yours and you have done well. Don’t compare it with anyone elses’ cause your circumstances and theirs are not the same. Just remember a scholarship exam is by no means decisive of your capability. ”
With that planted strongly in the back of my mind I started my secondary studies in the same school in English medium. We were the first batch to face O/Ls under the new syllabus and the second batch of the school to face it in English medium. Teachers were fairly new and for some subjects we didn’t have a teacher for a whole year. I faced my GCE O/Ls in 2008 December and got my results ( 9As) on April 4th 2009 (Yes. After four months, cause our system is ‘that’ efficient.)
By that time I was set up on doing Biology for A/Ls just because I was fascinated by science, specially human anatomy since I was 12 and I loved making my own notes, referring books that were meant for people much older than me. My father wanted me to do languages (Apparently because I kept on scribbling ever since he can remember and managed to secure all island merits in literature and composition) but didn’t force me in to anything. Only thing he said was, “don’t do bio just because you fancy a steth around your neck” which was fine by me since I never had a doctor fantasy ever in my life. My father made me look at it like just another job which is falsely glorified in the Sri Lankan context. I’d rather fancy being a scientist, I told him.
My school started classes for A/Ls in 2009 August (four months after O/L results) I was set to do my A/Ls in English medium as well.(despite the lack of resources in my school) because I was so used to referencing and making my own notes , that it drove me crazy trying to adapt to Sinhala specially when it came to Biology. (by this time, I’ve tried a month of Sinhala medium classes with no luck.) Again we were the first batch to face A/Ls under the new syllabus so our teacher’s guides and curricula came sickeningly late. ( just how efficient the free education system was) To be exact, the chemistry curriculum only came out six months before the exam.
For my A/Ls I never attended a mass tuition class. For two reasons 1. There were no proper tuition classes in English medium in my area. 2. I was making my own notes based on the teachers’ guides and curricula.
Nevertheless for biology I had the help of this amazing lady Mrs. Kalupahana and for physics, that of very kind and dedicated sir from St. Thomas’ collage; Mr. Upali. I faced my A/Ls in 2011 August and waited for months before the release of results on 26th December, Which was without a doubt, the most epic fail in the history of all results’ releases. Fun fact- I have four different printouts from the doenets.lk website carrying four different sets of results in each. Amongst all the havoc, I applied for biology, applied biology and Indigenous medicine degrees offered by the state with the B,C & S I got that time since there were only two ways I could get where I wanted to go , one being a BSc in biology and a masters in molecular biology leading to a career in medical research the other being an MBBS which can directly lead to a career in medical research. For everything to get processed and for the system to take us in to universities it took forever! I’ve completed my second shy with BBC and CIMA (cert BA ) by the time University of Kelaniya offered me the BAMS degree for free. Even though I’ve already applied for a Russian scholarship for MBBS and for SAITM by that time, I thought I’d give this free degree a try since I loved the field and I could still go in to medical research with that. Got enrolled on 23rd April 2013 and spent three months in pure hell in the name of ragging where there was no freedom of education AT ALL. By this time I’ve received a vacancy for BSc in applied biology at University of Rajarata. I got enrolled there having left the hell hole in UOK and at about the same time I got called in for interviews at SAITM.
My father did his second serious talk with me that night. We’ve looked in to both the applied science degree and SAITM’s MBBS degree and my father was convinced with SAITM having talked to the professors and lecturers there, some of them being his own teachers. They had a fully functioning teaching hospital at the time plus MOHE and UGC recognition. Now there were three options for me at this point. 1. Continue the BSc and hope for the best to have a chance at being a medical researcher which was a very long shot. 2. Take the chance with the Russian schol which would cost less than SAITM but will require learning a foreign language, five plus years in an unknown land with no one to support me and still after all that, the uncertainty with the time factor when it comes to ERPM exams in SL. 3. Do a Sri Lankan MBBS at SAITM. After having looked in to all the pros and cons in All three options we settled for the third. Not because my father could afford the cost of 67 lakhs (as of September 2013) But because like all good fathers he wanted the best for his daughter (He had to sell his only inheritance; a land, in order for the funds to spend for my higher education)
I faced two Interview rounds at SAITM along with 200 odd other applicants and by the time of the third interview which was conducted by the UGC there were only around 150 filtered applicants. The UGC interview finalized the intake for 2013 September which was around 120 students. (Which has reduced to just 98 as of today. So yeah , just because we pay, there’s no guarantee we’ll get an MBBS in return.) We started semester 01 on 16th September 2013 and since then I’ve faced a countless amount of OSCEs, Bars, Credits, Semester ends, mids, year ends so on and so forth. (After the end of first semester only I got the rescrutinity letter which made the C a B, just to point out how inefficient and unreliable the system was to me.) Now I’m a 4th year undergraduate, having completed my 1st and 2nd MBs all on first attempt. 4th is the year in which we start clinicals and as of today, I have spent 6 months in to the fourth year, completed my first internal medicine appointment along with some other short appointments.
I have seen live, walking, talking patients. I have touched blood, sweat, sputum and human excreta without flinching, held the hands of dying patients , gone through the pain of losing a patient and the euphoria of getting a dying one well and about. For the record, I’ve also used rubber models to practice before touching live patients, if that’s a crime as you #NoPMC fellows claim.
Finally, to the one question that I’m certain will pop up in the comments, “Why did you go to SAITM when the SLMC repeatedly put paper advertisements asking students not to?” Here’s why, According to the Medical ordinance under which the SLMC is supposed to function, it has no authority to put such paper notices against a UGC approved medical faculty without substantial allegations reported and proved to the Minister of health. This same SLMC turned a blind eye towards KDU which functions without a hospital of its own up until today. This same SLMC has given recognition to 222 foreign medical faculties while only 77 of them have been evaluated. I can go on and on about the hypocrisy and double standards here. The SLMC, if they’ve acted according to the responsibilities vested in them by the medical ordinance, and not outside them. I wouldn’t be here telling you my life story. Taking crap from clueless people day in and day out. Every time I’m called a failure by an ignorant, I have to remind myself of my father’s serious talk number 1 and them of the fact that the GCE A/Ls is , in essence a scholarship examination where a government with limited budget allowance for tertiary education selects 27,000 out of 100,000 to teach for free. Just because this country’s government FAILED to educate every deserving child who’ve secured the necessary qualifications for higher education it DOES NOT mean that child is a failure. Open up your minds just enough to let that sink in. Please. 🙂
This is my story. To everyone who asks me why SAITM? All I have to say is why not?.
May all beings be well !
Douglas / March 11, 2017
Shanthi Koralege: I feel sorry for you. Yet I cannot help laughing at you for not correctly evaluating the future prospects of being into a career in “Medical Science” and to become a “Practicing Medical Person”. The third option you mentioned above should never have been the well judged and evaluated one by yourself and your parents. You and your parents failed and miserably failed in assessing the prospects of becoming a “Medical Practitioner” in Sri Lanka. You should have known that SLMC is different from UGC and those are two different entities that concerns “Medical Practitioners”. Just because you relied on the final interviews conducted by the UGC in connection with entrance to SAITM (the first time I heard of such) you as a student and matured enough to evaluate the Medical Studies leading to become “Medical Practitioner”, should have along with your parents assessed the RELEVANCE of the existence of an “Statutory Authority” called SLMC. and what role or authority it has over registering the Medical Practitioners in Sri Lanka. If you and your parents were convinced that SLMC had no authority to put out such advertisements you, all other students and parents should have along with SAITM prosecuted the SLMC for that “Illegal” notifications and even claimed heavy damages for MISLEADING the Public. It is a futile attempt to quote KDU and get out of your problem. That has it’s own history and no one cared to take up that issue when it was due. So it is now too late in the day to cry over split milk. If you cried over that affair you and so many cried for that would not be here tell that story. Such were the days and events connected with KDU. I understand your plight, that which is a creation of yourself and your parents and no doubt you and your parents have to fight it out . In that sense I appreciate you not expecting the sympathy of the others and resolving to fight it out yourself. Finally, (conceding your assertion that SLMC has no authority to decide on “Medical Studies and Registration of Medical Practitioners) I would like to remind you, and if all other students, their parents and SAITM filed action against SLMC at that very moment that “First” advertisement was published, all of us would have been laughing today for sorting out this problem. I wold appreciate your thoughts on that matter. Thank you.
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Asaipillai / March 11, 2017
Douglas
“…GCE A/Ls is , in essence a scholarship examination where a government with limited budget allowance for tertiary education selects 27,000 out of 100,000 to teach for free.”
The above quote from Sahani to me is the crux of the whole argument. You like many others fail to understand this fact. “…every deserving child who’ve secured the necessary qualifications for higher education” should have the opportunity to study in her/his choice of studies in which medicine is one. In any developed country this is the NORM!!. What is important is the end product stands up to scrutiny and reaches level of professionalism that is mandatory. Therefore ALL medical students (Colombo, SAITM, KDU Peradeniya, Rajarata, Jaffna, Baticaloa) must sit for exams that are conducted by a government regulated body. In our case probably Medical Council. There is no point in signalling out only SAITM!
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Nuwan / March 11, 2017
I’m sorry. GCE A/L is not a scholarship exam. It’s a selective exam, which intends to rank the student’s ability to complete various courses in higher education. It is a risk assessment. Think about fee paying education where banks lend money for education. They need the assurance that the student is able to complete the course, find a job and repay the loan. In their re-payment risk assessment, would they not consider A/L results?
The fact that government is unable to support and expand positions available to many other students is a matter that should be addressed separately.
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Asaipillai / March 11, 2017
Nuwan
A/L is a scholarship exam indeed to enter a state university. If you get into a state university it is FREE! That means fully paid graduate programs. Please try and grasp that!!!
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
asapilli
Nobody cares whether A/L is a scholarship exam or not. If you do well in the exam you get into a state university and pay no tuition. If you fail to secure a place in these universities you can pay and attend a private university. But if you are planning medical studies you need to attend a SLMC accredited university.
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John / March 12, 2017
You are wrong . Ever deserving child does not get to study Medicine in the developed world.
It is extremely competitive. Only the very best who are totally determined and dedicated get in.
They can get into other fields.
In some countries it can be a second degree which is also very competitive to get in but these are more mature students who have greater life experience and sometimes make better doctors.
Some who get in on vey high marks on A’level equivalent drop out if they lack the motivation to complete.
In Sri Lanka it looks like if you have the money and the influence to study Medicine is deserved even with minimum qualifications. This is wrong at many levels and going backwards in great social progress and upwards mobility of the downtrodden masses which free education offered.
The doctors in SL have to clean up their act but the powerful, selfish and corrupt with vested interests criticizing them and the GMOA to say private medical education is needed for the country is wrong and dangerous and will have far reaching repercussions.
If the country needs more doctors (not absolutely sure if this is true) or any other profession State universities or in partnership with private sector should offer places to next in line on the merit list not just to some brats who cry to their rich parents or because rich parents want to satisfy their ego via their children (excuse my generalization and exaggeration but it will fit some).
I emphasize there will be many deserving poor, powerless children with great potential but why a select a few who have the money and the power.
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Sahani Koralage / March 11, 2017
Ma’am , I was ans am well aware of existence of an “Statutory Authority” called SLMC. and what role or authority it has over registering the Medical Practitioners in Sri Lanka. In fact I’ll quote the ordinance for you regarding the duties of the SLMC and where its ignorance of the UGC recognition clashes with the law.
PART IIIA- Medical ordinance
POWERS OF MEDICAL COUNCIL
[Ins by s 11 of Act 30 of 1987.]
19A. Power of persons authorized by the Medical Council to enter and make inquiries at recognized universities and institutions. (the SLMC can’t make inquiries in to some unrecognized institute ma’am so as you see, By the time I entered, the SLMC has already made a round of investigations and by essence I entered in to a faculty with due recognition.) Furthermore, According to section 19C, The procedure of de-recognition is as follows,
Power of Medical Council to recommend withdrawal of recognition of qualifications granted by recognised universities or institutions.
(1) Where the Medical Council is satisfied, on a report made to it under subsection (3) of section 19A or any information furnished to it under section 19B that the courses of study provided by a recognised university or institution leading to the grant or conferment of a medical qualification or the degree of proficiency required by such university or institution at any examination held for the grant or conferment of any such qualification or that the staff, accommodation and equipment provided by such university or institution for the purpose of such course of study, do not conform to the prescribed standards it may recommend to the Minister that such qualification shall not be recognised for the purpose of registration under this Ordinance.
(2) Upon receipt of a recommendation under subsection (1) in respect of a recognised university or institution, the Minister shall send a copy of such recommendation to such university or institution and invite it to make its comments thereon within a specified period.
(3) Where the Minister is satisfied, after examining the comments, if any, made under subsection (2) by a university or institution and after making such further inquiry as he considers necessary that—
(a) the course of study provided by such university or institution leading to the grant or conferment of a medical qualification,
(b) the degree of proficiency required at examinations held by such university or institution for the grant or conferment of such qualification, or
(c) the staff, equipment, accommodation and facilities provided by such university or institution for such course of study, do not conform to the prescribed standards, he shall, declare by regulation, that any provision of this Ordinance which enables the holder of that qualification to be registered under this Ordinance shall cease to have effect in relation to such university or institution or in relation to any institution affiliated to such university, from such date as is specified in such regulation. FYI, unless such a final decision is made public by the Ministry of Health, SLMC has no authority to put paper advertisements against any faculty with false accusations. Suing them for this wrong is neither my poor parents or my duty. All the legal actions has been taken up by the institute and If you have further problems with that I highly recommend clarifying them with the management of the institution. ( Open for visitors on all working days during office hours.) Thank you.
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Hilmy Ahamed / March 11, 2017
well said Sahini
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NoFrames / March 11, 2017
Sahani is trying to mislead everyone.
SAITM is a BOI project, and every BOI project needs approval from various authorities.
In the case of Neville Fernando teaching hospital as well as SAITM, they need approval of Ministry of Health. And Sahani doesn;t know till now, that SAITM and NFTH both don’t have Ministry of Health approval.
Additionally BOI projects that are awarding degrees need compliance certificate from the necessary professional body. For Medicine, ir is none other than SLMC.
Sahani fails miserably to bring out these facts.
Let’s put it in simple.
SAITM needs MoH approval – not given
SAITM the BOI project needs SLMC compliance certificate – not given
SAITM needs UGC recognition – given but at the brink of being revoked.
Make up your own minds!!
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M.S / March 11, 2017
Where in the law that it says you need MoH approval for a medical faculty?Please quote.
According to the documents presented in the recent court order with regard to SAITM there’s no problem with the approval from all the due authorities.
BOI approval was duly given , Refer the court order, it has all the documents in place.Don’t lie. You can’t mislead a crowd who have access to information and are literate.
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
sahani,
Are you trying to say that at the time you entered SAITM you were guaranteed medical registration on successful completion of your studies? If that is the scenario, who gave you the guarantee? SAITM or the SLMC? If it was the SLMC, was it conditional to be re-assessed when clinical rotations are to begin?
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William Sacks / March 11, 2017
I would like to know how many registrations of doctors have been cancelled by the SLMC for last ten years for either misconduct or other wrong doings. I believe none! Why should there be three to represent GMOA in the council, won’t they look after their own rather establishing policy. Chairman is a bigoted leftist who is against private medical education.
Well done Shahani. Not only your parents, many of us are proud of you and believe strongly that justice should be served to many deserving people like you. All the best!
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
william,
GMOA is the largest physician body in Sri Lanka besides the private practitioners. As a tradition the SLMA invites its membership to be part of the SLMA body. Layman like you have no right to dictate how the SLMA should function. But if you don’t agree with their illegal conduct you can go to courts to make things right. But maintaining the quality of medical practice is solely at their discretion.
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
Dear Douglas,
Sahani Koralage’s story is sad only for those who have not experienced tragedy. Comments have now flowed on to a third page. Towards the end of the second page I found her father responding to something that a silly guy had said. What this entire business highlights is the beautiful relationships within this family, and also the idealism of this girl, Sahani.
Douglas, we have exchanged views before, and I respect you. There will always be crooks; I feel that those running this institution may be described as such. Many will suffer because of SAITM, and because of the hypocrisy of those who oppose the very idea of allowing those willing to pay the price to pursue studies after some initial setback.
What is admirable here is that Sahani is not one who has given up. She will make the most of the half chances that come her way, and achieve something for herself, and for others.
I’ve been a teacher all my life. Retired now. I don’t know all the answers – although this is my field. And if I provide you with a link to some of the articles that I wrote about a year ago, I’m sure that what you read there will shock you even more.
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
Dear Sahani Koralage,
Many are saying things like, “you should have known . . .”. This is nonsense. It is the business of the State to ensure that frauds should not be allowed to dupe innocents. At this age, don’t let these “adult issues” bother you! Be happy that you are young and pretty! How I wish I were as young and as optimistic as you, that things can be changed. It may be that you could make a significant difference to the way things are done.
But corruption is now endemic in our country. I’m now going to transition to something a little different, but this, too, is connected with education, and will show you that there is something that I can only call corruption in an elite institution that has been around since 1852; and most will be more shocked if they studied this, than they claim to be by SAITM.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-thomian-pharisees-are-unrepentant-why-this-matters-to-all-sri-lankans/
That is the last of three articles that I wrote about cheating at S. Thomas’. Well, the Mt Lavinia school (the last of the three schools I studied in as a “kid” – I left it almost 50 years ago) wasn’t directly involved, but there are skeletons in every cupboard that has been around for over a hundred years!
There is one Board of Governors looking after four Anglican private schools named S.Thomas’. In many senses, they are the same school. What I have written about concerns outrageous cheating by the three branch schools, at Kollupitiya, Bandarawela and Gurutalawa. The way they cheated a Board Member to represent the 3 branch schools; but remember that Member then becomes a Member of the Board that oversees Mt Lavinia as well. Those who want to know what happened almost exactly a year ago, should click on the link, since I will say no more about it – here.
Now, young Sahani, I was very happy to read that a teacher from my old school helped you: ” that of a very kind and dedicated master from S. Thomas’ College, Mr. Upali.”
Sahani, you have written brilliantly, which is why I have posted about five comments on your article, and one on another of the stories with the same title. I’ve read them all; yours moved me most. However, I wonder whether you can spot 5 changes that I have made to that quote. One of them is not REALLY a correction; just arrogance restored to the way in which we Thomians abbreviate “Saint”. Peculiar to S. Thomas’; the form you had used is standard usage worldwide.
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SK / March 13, 2017
Thank you for correcting that sir. honestly I wasn’t aware of the proper way to write the college’s name.
Thank you for the support. Really appreciate it.
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
Dear SK,
English is a messy language. So many exceptions to every rule. Don’t ever get obsessed with the “proper way” when it comes to English. That is the reason why so many Sri Lankans find it difficult to learn the language. They want grammar, more grammar, and still more grammar!
There are many systems of grammar; I don’t think that I have mastered any of them, really. I’m a villager but my first language is English. Sinhala is my only other language.
My father was also a teacher; that’s how I got that funny first name (I assume that you’ve had the time to click on that link.) The guy who originally bore that name lived about 2,400 years ago. Noam Chomsky at MIT (Boston) is referred to “as the greatest linguist since P.” Unfortunately, I’m not great at all. P. wrote this great grammar of Sanskrit – and I’m told that it has even influenced computer language. I’m sure computers would now have been invented without his grammar, but they may have been slightly different. May have been better! There are many things that are imponderable in life!
I’ve got this Belgian neighbour of mine. He knows about seven languages really well. Perhaps fifteen in all – difficult to estimate, because once you get to that level, you can decipher by just guessing. He says that Spanish is the most rational language.
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justice / March 11, 2017
Four different sets of results in the A Level!
“medical research” is possible only by doctors with post graduate degrees and after many years of practice.
Rubber models to practise – what?
‘clinicals’ in the fourth year – too late.
UGC cannot “recognise” a “medical faculty”- only SLMC can.
How did UGC evaluate students – it was not their job.
SLMC had every right to warn would be victims of SAITM.
67 Lakhs for a SAITM degree – with three months of ragging too – what percentage was profit for Neville Fernando?
No one need touch blood, sweat, sputum & excreta to become a doctor.
KDU “medical degrees” will not be recognised either.
This lady is a victim of the financial enterprise called SAITM.
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medic / March 11, 2017
You got it wrong buddy, 3 months ragging hell hole was in Uni Kelaniya. Read without prejudice to understand what a writer is saying You are also a joker to think medical research is postgraduate- No, as you enter you have to start on projects. You are wrong in thinking UGC evaluates students. UGC evaluates entry criteria, curriculum, staff available, semester contents, examination schedules and many other things. Students are evaluated by consultants at end of appointments, at end of semesters, and at major exams. including the final MBBS which SAITM completed for some batches. Appointment books are records signed up. Dummies are used for practice all over the world, without killing patients. It not only takes blood, sweat and sputum, but children vomit on you, and I had one urinating on me while I attended to another. Go to the diarrhea ward of children for an unforgettable experience. Go to spastic ward to renew your mind.
SLMC was above board, inspected SAITM and had integrity till recently GMOA muscle mass enticed it, and oedema of brain was seen. So they got court verdict of violation of Medical Ordinance. SAITM entitled to internship training legally. Focus on finances shows how much govt. spends on free medical training so that they can boycott lectures with free holidays and substandard training where they will be signed up for doing nothing. SLMC recognized KDU at gun point, but they don’t see the value of SAITM, except money, money and more money. All things are temporal and this too shall pass. SAITM doctors will treat you well.
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justice / March 11, 2017
medic,
Sorry about what I said, but what is the solution to the SAITM problem – there are many others like her.
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
Dear justice,
Some problems have no solutions.
“Development” is one huge problem. I fear that we are causing our planet to hurtle towards the extinction of all life forms.
This is what idiots like Donald Trump will never understand.
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Rasika Fernando / March 11, 2017
Justice,you are talking bullshit. This child has explained and the maybe you should get someone to translate to your mother tongue the facts about her plight. The street urchins who are destabilising the country with a political agenda are the cause of all this. They claim that they are defending free education. Why are they not protesting about the engineering, IT, social sciences and other hundreds of degrees offered by hundreds of degree awarding institutes. Why only SAITM. They did not protest about KDU because Gota would have made mincemeat of their B….ls if they did.
Give these kids a hearing and get onto the streets to hunt these irresponsible hooligans who are wasting our tax money by parading the streets without following lectures. What kind of doctors will they become? They would be better suited to follow Velupillai Prabaharan’s killing machine. Get real Justice FOOL.
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justice / March 11, 2017
Rasika Fernando,
So sorry about what I said on the spur of the moment, but what is the solution for her and those like her?
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
Rasika
You write about, engineering, IT, social sciences and other hundreds of degrees where no protests are seen. Do these professions need licences to practice like Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Law? Has any one started a private law school in Sri Lanka? If some one starts do they have to have accreditation of the SL Bar Association or any other authority?
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Rameez / March 11, 2017
too late in your syllbaus or this is because SAITM did it?
what percentage of profits to Neville Fernando Irrelevant here no one goes and asks what Percentage of profits ( untaxed) doctors get through private practise and recommending drugs
UGC conducts examinations for the AL students who become doctors…so why cant it conduct interviews to SAITM.
why do you elaborate financial enterprise….this word is there everywhere always and will be there forever!!
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Dot / March 11, 2017
This could be the story of many a student .what does it tell us ..how the student thought this institution got the big tick and the people involved will just accept it like we have done with other private educational institutions ..and that is a sad precedent no doubt… Most countries have cut off marks for the graduate courses they offer YES EVEN IN suoer rich countries .Students closer to the perfect score are accepted to the Medical and Law degrees for they carry expenses to the funding bodies more than others .and now loans are given to meet some of the expenses by the students .. Many a student gets weaned out to other graduate courses that may offer them a path an allied degree . ..The Governments do not give automatic recognition to private tertiary institutions and its the duty of the latter to get their act right before going public and calling for enrollments .yes open to overseas rich too .credentials are important and advertised like wise .Many a student who went overseas for higher education has faced such situations and left high and dry ..but the carrot there was a Resident visa more than a valid certificate so it balances somewhat . ..SATIM and its recognition by the local authorities is yet to be established I believe .on criteria that would be recognized globally and believe me Our State Universities has that reputation more than some other countries .it is a precious status The Government a welfare state by name seem to be lost somewhere procrastinating hoping this problem would soon go away .The population at large is weary of this long drawn out issue ..
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
That Medical Degrees “carry a lot of expenses is correct.” Does Law also have to cost a lot?
I’m not trying to correct you, just curious!
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Sanipa / March 11, 2017
Obtaining or awarding a degree is one issue which is under the UGC . Practicing medicine is another issue which is under SLMC. I beleive these are two issues.
The best example is Dr. GL Peiris. Has all degrees Ph.D and was Professor of law but cannot practice as he does not have a license for which he has to get a law college acceptance through exams.
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Ashantha De Mel / March 11, 2017
A mental retard like GL cannot be compared to these bright kids
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Sinhala_Man / March 13, 2017
Dear Ashantha de Mel,
Gamini Lakshman P. is now an embarrassment to us all. By the age of about 27 he had not one, but two PhDs.
He was precocious even in school; won every academic prize on offer. He was a plump little boy then! And enormously wealthy.
How does one begin to explain what’s happened to him? I have theories, but . . . well, is it our business? Our business in never to vote for parties which have the likes of him in them.
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silva / March 11, 2017
I have some medical background. I work as specialist in Sri Lanka for about 6 years and currently practicing as specialist in overseas.
All western countries there is some private involvement in medical education as it is heavy burden on state to fund for free education. Solution is there should be a quota for fee paying students in government medical school or to establish one private medical school. With Sri Lankan politics it will be impossible to admit private students to government universities. So private medical school in appropriate.
Advantage of private medical school is students who were left out due to district basis allocation will have a chance to attend to medical education and also some of the money spend on oversea education is spared to be used in Sri Lanka. Also well run private medical school can attract overseas students and it will generate additional income to the country.
But as Sri lanka is country of high index of corruption it is important to highly regulate the way private medical education is run. Admission criteria should be well established with limit on HSC marks and selective non biased interview process. Good facilities should be available to have appropriate clinical practice.
This will give better competition to government run medical schools so that student will be motivate to do their studies well other than trying get entangled into unnecessary trade union activities
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Asaipillai / March 11, 2017
Sahani
Take a bow! for having the courage to address directly your point of view. All kudos to you. There will be many like Douglas who will write rubbish and try to discourage you. Read them too as you need to understand the murky minds of idiots who are simply jealous (nothing else but that..period!!). Knowing their minds will let you chart your course of action in this battle. Success will absolutely come to you. I take my hat off to your parents and your father in particular!
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Eusense / March 11, 2017
Asaipillai
Stop giving false hope to this Innocent victim of money hungry SATIM. You appear to have no idea of medical education, registration and licensing. Dr. Nevil Fernando from the very beginning knew the plight of these students. If he says other wise he is a big liar. My advice to this girl, rest of the students and the parents is to sue the hell out of this conman Nevil Fernando for monitory and psychological damage.
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Hilmy Ahamed / March 11, 2017
Eusense, you are talking nonsense. Neville fernando may be doing this as a business but this is one of the best things any businessman has ever done in Sri Lanka. There should be many more private enterprises investing in universities so that none of our children need to be shipped out for higher education. We have some brilliant retired academic staff who can fit in immediately to fill the requirement of the academic vacuum.
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Eusense / March 11, 2017
Hilmy
Did I ever say that doing business and making money is bad? You have still not grasped the problem here. This conman NF should have made sure at the very beginning that these students get registration and licensed to practice medicine from the SLMC. Are you trying to say that he did not know that? Is that the kind of business you are advocating for? In my mind this is the kind of business we should live without!
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Rameez / March 11, 2017
are telling me that all others are not money hungry…..dont be an idiot
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
Don’t make your self an idiot in public!
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Asaipillai / March 11, 2017
Eusense
How the hell you came to the conclusion I have no idea of medical education. Don’t be a stupid dimwit! All private universities exist to make profit. SAITM and Dr. Nevile Fernando is no exception. For that matter all state universities must break and should not have cost over runs. On top of that you ask these students to sue Dr. NF! I think you are plainly driven by jealousy of these students and Dr. NF in particular!
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
asapillai
You writings clearly suggest you have no idea of medical education. I don’t care whether private universities making money or not, but they have to do it abiding by the laws of the country and being honest. In other words unlike other areas of study if involved in medical education their primary aim should be to fulfill the requirements of the SLMC, so that students can obtain registration. Do you know whether SAITM guaranteed these students that they will have medical registration at the end of their studies, when they were first admitted? If they did, they lied to the students to make money. If they did not guarantee, it shows the foolishness of the students and their parents to enroll and continue studies at this unscrupulous institution.
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jim softy / March 11, 2017
Sri lanka is a screwed up country by Politicians. Youth can rise against the govt. If it is Sinhala students they will be killed saying JVP and the west help because they are communists. I ton’t think Tamils rise for another some decades.
Sri lanka needs prive universities for those who did not pass with adequate makrs, and those who can afford to go private. Govt universities alone can not help Sri lankan students who are very intelligent and capable
The problem is I heard, even this time, some top officials of the Medical council have sent their children to study overseas. There is at least one femlae from the previous private medical college who was admitted to do medicat in the private scholl but she had only home science as the subject. Anyway, she is a daughter of a minister. she can escape some how. It looks this time also minister and the management got together and screwed up some students. that should not happen. They should be hired at least as AMP and should be evaluated. govt should not allow those students’ hopes to be washed away.
That ministers children went to Australia and studied with money from the president’s fund, I heard. On the other hand, in their mind, who cares about others.
I SAITM is also a good issue for the govt to make every forget other problem because SAITM is the issue. So, the students are the pawns here. Probably, they may delay for some time, when the elections comes, they may settle something it was Mahinda Rajapakse’s fault.
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Matt / March 11, 2017
Sahani, I feel sorry for you and your parents. But , I just because of that, I cannot allow you to play with the lives of innocent patients. SLMC is the guardian of medical practice in srilanka, and when they say that you are not good enough, you are not good enough. I cannot allow you to be the doctor treating my loved ones when they are taken to the hospital with a life-threatening condition. I will fight to prevent that until I take my last breath. If you really want to play doctor, practice on your parents, not mine.
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watcher / March 11, 2017
My advice too is for you to get treated by those boycotting classes striking doctors which the state is putting out over thousands each year, some from Rajarata and Eastern as well. Hope you get cured. SAITM doctors will be a handful and cannot treat the whole of SL even if they try. Best to get loved ones with life threatening conditions treated in hospitals anyway, and who knows, you might even meet a SAITM doctor there. Not worth fighting against others till your last breath. Get some true revelation before that.
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PalRaj / March 11, 2017
This individual story is heart touching, but does not change the fact that SAITM is a profit motivated business and they will cut corners to achieve more profits.
As Ms Koralage says, she was one of 120 selected from a group of 200 applicants. This shows an extremely low entry hurdle (that allows more than 50% of the applicants to get through.
Whatever, complaints MS Koralage has against the SLMC, we need a body qualified and capable of protecting standards of medical care in this country. Supervising the licensing process of doctors is a key aspect of this. Therefore SAITM should not be allowed to bypass the SLMC controls.
Finally, though MS Koralage cries poor and her father had to sell his ‘only’ inheritance to get her in to SAITM, could she spare a thought for thousands of others who got higher marks than her, but did not have ANY inheritance to sell?.
Ms Koralage, everything is relative and your story, I am afraid, should not change the outcome of SAITM case.
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Sinhala_Man / March 14, 2017
Dear PalRaj,
Many fallacies in your argument; may be I also make unwarranted assumptions:
There may have been an application fee, and much time consuming information to provide. So only those with a realistic chance of success – and the money necessary, would have applied. So, 60% getting selected doesn’t damn SAITM.
Standards certainly have to be protected. The problem in our country is that anything goes. Imagine any other nation tolerating the lifestyles of these bloody M.Ps!
I’m sure that those running SAITM must be making some money out of it. I’m personally convinced that the Rajapaksas (and Arjuna Mahendran) plundered our country. That must have been much more than these SAITM guys. I’ve made many, many comments these last few days. My sympathies have always been with these kids, not with the management. However, I haven’t studied the venture sufficiently (and never will – that is what I voted a government in for) to be able to conclusively label these guys at SAITM to be crooks.
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A / March 11, 2017
State has failed.
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Nuwan / March 11, 2017
“We’ve looked in to both the applied science degree and SAITM’s MBBS degree and my father was convinced with SAITM having talked to the professors and lecturers there”
We all make decisions this way. But if you are buying a car, for example, talk to the car dealer, that’s fine. But you also pay a bit of attention to reviews written elsewhere and from other experts. In this situation paying a bit of attention to the SLMC ad campaign would have paid off.
That said you farther took a risk with his money (and your life), like may investors do. Kudos for that.
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Fr. Mathew Samuel / March 11, 2017
Sweet Child, May the blessing of Jesus be with you and bring compassion and understanding to these protesting doctors and university students.
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
Fr. Mathew
How many years of seminary studies did you have? A very good catholic who was a pillar of the church now wants to be ordained as a priest without a seminary education. Would the Pope allow him to be ordained?
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Hilmy Ahamed / March 11, 2017
The UGC website says that you need only 2 Cs and 1s to follow medical studies in Sri Lanka or anywhere else in the world. The SLMC issues an eligibility letter to anyone who wants to study abroad if the university is approved by the officials of SLMC who are probably taken on joy rides to evaluate. They include universities in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Philippines, China, former Russian republics, former Eastern European Countries etc.. Almost all of them do not have academic resources anywhere close to the staff of SAITM. How the hell can these bunch of protesting sadists deprive these bright kids the opportunity of studying medicine in their home environment when they can freely go to these god forsaken places and buy their degrees. This is a violation of their basic human right.
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suresh Ratnayake / March 11, 2017
“…GCE A/Ls is , in essence a scholarship examination where a government with limited budget allowance for tertiary education selects 27,000 out of 100,000 to teach for free.”
The best I have heard of the dilemma faced by our super kids. The government must open up at least 5 more private medical schools and save our valuable foreign exchange from draining into many other countries that offer substandard degrees.
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Ceylonese / March 11, 2017
If SLMC ignores the private medical colleges, the invisible hand will put an end to the exorbitant fees they can charge. The minimum bench mark should be all Medical students pass the ERPM to practice in Sri Lanka.
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fazly Sameem / March 11, 2017
The government should immediately remove the 84 year old senile administrator of SLMC and all the problems would be solved. The public should treat the striking doctors Mariakade style if they deprive the poorest of their medical needs, Time for social responsibility of society. The majority of GMOA members have come from disadvantaged districts and their degrees are certainly substandard. So, send them to sit for the ERPM exam and at least 60% of them will fail even if they sit 10 times.
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Sinhala_Man / March 14, 2017
Fazly Sameem,
I agree with most of what you say, but not about guys from “disadvantaged district” guys always remaining disadvantaged.
It is I think a scientifically proven fact that those who are backward owing to environment, catch up if provided with opportunities.
What you are saying on that score is dangerous; it’s the sort of thing that leads to violent upheaval. There must be social mobility – why? Primarily because it is only fair. However, it is also a safety valve.
I’ve been a teacher, and I tell you, our Education set up has got terrible. Of course, the solution is not to compensate only by fiddling with marks, Z scores, and whatever else. The trouble is that when we see the complexity of the problem, we start suggesting simplistic solutions. We have to look at the details.
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Prassana Ranatunga / March 11, 2017
The SAITM issue probably will be taken up by the supreme courts soon. The respected judges who are going to hear the case can forget about the submissions by the lawyers and listen to these stories. They will know that almost every student has better A/L result than some of the top officials of GMOA.
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Gamini / March 11, 2017
SAITM is a sensitive issue and there are many points of view. Like some other ‘projects’, it was created under the aegis of the previous government (I understand MR even handed over scholarships to some students?) and it appears it was not done well and may have been politicised. Hence the prevalent issues. It has fallen to the current government to resolve whatever issues there may be. But now it is a matter for the Judiciary (to me the students should have sued SAITM and SAITM should have in turn sued the SLMC). The verdict of the Judiciary has to be honoured by all stakeholders and it appears it has come to a stage where the resolution has to be through the final verdict of the Judiciary. I understand SLMC has not accepted the verdict of the HC and so has appealed to the SC. That is their prerogative. Let’s wait and see what happens. (My personal point of view is that deficiencies, if any, should be corrected and the students allowed to be granted the MBBS degree as promised) The Government should set out the Policy as it relates to the establishment of Private Institutions for the awarding of ‘Degrees’.
The SL society still expects the Government to provide certain services free of charge or at a subsidised rate. If SL is to to be classified as a developed Nation, the attitudes of society need to change where the opportunity is given to the Private sector to work in partnership with the Government. The Government should set out the ‘Policies’ within which the private sector should operate and gradually wean away from conducting ‘commercial;’ activities.
It is interesting the GMOA is generally against SAITM and the establishment of such private degree awarding institutions but are happy to undertake ‘channel’ practice in private hospitals. In my opinion they are a ‘self serving’ breed. I bet they were against private hospitals too at the outset? Wonder if the establishment of private hospitals in SL has been positive or negative for the Nation?
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Sinhala_Man / March 14, 2017
Thanks, Gamini.
A most responsible and comprehensive overview is what you have given us.
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Janak / March 11, 2017
Would Ms Koralage care to actually show us which section of the Medical Ordinance the SLMC was violating when they published those advertisements?
Thanks
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Sahani Koralage / March 11, 2017
Part IIIA section 19C. of the Medical Ordinance with subsequent amendments [Ins by s 11 of Act 30 of 1987.]
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suresh Ratnayake / March 11, 2017
Janak, do you want more. I can give you until the cows come home
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Shantha Bandara / March 11, 2017
Just read carefully their own website and you will get your answers
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Wasantha / March 11, 2017
The quality of all the Sri Lankan Medical faculties must be checked by foreign expert panel. Not the SLMC. Then you will see problem not with SAITEM it is with public Universities medical faculties. Fake professorships, bad governance, Heads and Deans are the most junior and least qualified people and catchers of VCs. The current University system is a hell of corruption and bad governance. Seniority never respected in the system. VCs and UGC are the responsible for this disaster. See University act. It says VC can appoint anybody for Head position. Not even in hell such rule does exist.
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Sinhala_Man / March 14, 2017
Wasantha,
You talk sense. I’ve seen almost the same “general lambasting” which was all cut and paste.
I wonder how many of us in the South even bothered to find out what’s been happening in Jaffna University, where the guy who applied from Boston was ruled out without even interviewing? Let me give you a link to the most recent presentation of the Boston guy’s crime:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/fate-of-higher-education-when-the-rule-of-law-ceases/
Strange it is that this article by a guy who hid from the Tigers for 15 years in Sinhalese areas has had only one response other than mine in twelve hours. We seem not to care what happens up there.
Now don’t get me wrong as to why I suggest you read that article. It’s not for the author’s personal history. It is because what’s happening there is shockingly unjust.
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Anver / March 11, 2017
What intrigues me is the total apathy of certain posters towards the agony and hardship this girls has faced. Their bigoted ideas against SAITM render them deaf to others’ problems. This is the problem faced by students who wish to continue their studies, if not selected by the State universities.
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Hilmy Ahamed / March 11, 2017
Sahini, I admire your resolve to fight back and you have done that very well. Your parents are blessed to have a daughter like you, and Sri Lanka would be proud when you start practicing ethical medicine unlike what is prevailing right now. I do not have a child at SAITM. I wish all the children the very best in their future as doctors
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Ceylonese / March 11, 2017
[Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.
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susantha perera / March 11, 2017
The problem with SAITM is corruption to start with. Its SB Dissanayake who was palmed well by Neville Fernando with ghost shares. To this day, SB’s son sits and controls the board. If Dr Fernando has guts, he should throw him out. The Children of SAITM are some of the best brains in the country. It is the responsibility of the government including Prez and Prime Minister to make a clear statement that private medical education will be encouraged. They should provide clinical training at government hospital and all students should be allowed to sit the common exam. Then we will see whose standards need to be improved. Please encourage at least 10 more private medical colleges to solve the doctor shortage. If the GMOA resorts to trade union action, deprive them of private practice as long as they are in government service. Establish a special unit to track tax evading doctors. You can easily access the tax payable by the number of patients they consult every day. Also encourage all CITIZENS to forward a copy of their hospital bills and surgery charges to this special unit. Within months, Ravi Karunanayake can remove the VAT and other taxes on the poor.
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Ceylonese / March 11, 2017
A glut in Medical Practitioners will have a serious dent to the tax free private practice.
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Mohamed Marzook - UK / March 11, 2017
As in all other circumstances it is the prevailing political process that continue to cause confusions in the education system as well. Over the last sixty years or more policies have changed from Govts. to Govts. every five years or so and from Ministers to Ministers within one Govt. For example India was much behind Sri Lanka particularly in Medical Science even in the 1970s but consistency maintained in the policy of developing education in Medical Science and others have made India to move miles ahead of Sri Lanka. What Sri Lanka urgently needs is the complete change of the political process for the country to get out of all the ills.
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S T / March 11, 2017
[Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.
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silva / March 11, 2017
truth behind ur selection of saitm is,
you idiots are not ready to face ERPM if u select a university in abroad. you wanted enter medical field via back door. If u r genuine as u mentioned please come forward and say ‘ we had enough training and confient enough to face any exams’ rather than going behind politicians with ur power of money.
If u cant say that, please go to some school which teach mentally retarded people than going to SAITM.
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Sahani Koralage / March 11, 2017
We have requested a common exam since a long time now. Did you just wake up or what? Our students are ready for ANY unbiased common exam and our professors have openly vouched for us. FYI ERPM( ACT16) by law, is an exam held to incorporate foreign graduates to the system hence unless it is ILLEGAL for us, Sri Lankan students to request/sit for it. PLEASE READ THE LAW AND UPDATE YOURSELF. http://srilankalaw.lk/Volume-V/medical-ordinance.html
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silva / March 11, 2017
hehehe… what u mean by unbiased exam?do you think exams are biased in SL? I think you will say AL is biased thats by u couldnot pass AL. Im from a poor family than u, but had enough brain to get through AL , so dont try to be oversmart .U can cheat idiotic common senseless people not me. I can remember ur professor was saying a exam which is not hold by SLMC? so then by whom? anybody who accept the money to pass evrybody? 1st you all rich idiots must understand every doctor must respect SLMC which asses and give authority to practice medicine where we take our oath, but you mentally retarded idiots want to become a doctor ignoring SLMC by just paying money.Pathetic.
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Srilal / March 11, 2017
Silva,
” Im from a poor family than u, but had enough brain to get through AL , so dont try to be oversmart .U can cheat idiotic common senseless people not me.”
So you think you have had enough brain to pass A/L ? who said you need to have a brain to pass A/L ? all those who have passed A/L and studying at various Unis are/were very smart people , right ? how come some students don’t get the desired results at the first attempt ending up with brilliant results at their 2 nd and the 3rd attempts ? were they less brainier year before ? your are a stereo type buffoon who is confined to a square ;thus, can’t think beyond the box which you are in . Read the poor girl’s plight again and try to understand what she is trying to say , she has every right to study whatever she likes , no bloody GMAO or any other bunch of hypocrites should allow to derail her journey ! SL Medical Doctors still live 100 years behind the real world , they still tend to think their profession is the best among all other professions ; thus, expect others to tore the line with them . big mistake , current SL medical doctors have lost their respect long time ago , in fact they are far worst than “Kondosthara” . Are these doctors fighting against the SAITM to protect our lives from SAItM doctors ? These bloody hypocrites want their monopoly intact ;accordingly, they would do any thing to reach their goal ! i remember they were protesting against the Ambulance service , what a bunch of hypocrites ?
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pakasilva Jayabhoomi / March 11, 2017
Silva, you are just fit to climb coconut trees if you dont understand what this child is saying
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Silva / March 11, 2017
HAhaha NF is trying everything. He tried a drama with his CEO. As it is failed he asked his idiotic students to write to attract some brainless idiots . All those idits who support thisrich idiot, if she really want to become doctor she could have done in a slmc approveduniversity and did erpm just for 40 lackhs, but she spent 67lak to bypass erpm, now acting with crocodile tear.
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Simon De Silva / March 11, 2017
And Silva whose failure was that if not of previous so called regime. We are all for quality of the degrees. Why SLMC was not approved nevertheless the PVT college allowed to provide the pvt student with admission upon the adverts set on local news papers ? I have the feeling all the lecturerers, former minister of education/Higher education, not forgetting most abusive president of the country were all wrong for one thing- they have all allowed the PVT college misleading young students. They may have only interest on the fees being invested by each student.
If a medical drug is not recognized, that would never be introduced by authorities to the consumers… likewise, the pvt was not approved by the highest body of the country, the students and their parents should have been warned them adequately at the time, students were offered their admissions.
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SpaceCancer / March 12, 2017
Nice english dude! Shows us clearly how educated you are, I’m talking from a patients perspective and I think that I’d rather go to a doctor who can speak properly rather than some guy who is a blabber mouth
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sunila basnayake / March 11, 2017
Idiots like you don’t know what goes behind the ERPM exam. Our youth are subjected to the whims of third rate doctors who conduct and examine these kids. There has been even sex solicited to pass them at ERPM. Due to the social stigma these kids who have got foreign degrees don’t want to expose these SOBs. They are also scared that they would be harassed by the GMOA when they are posted to god forsaken places. The Padeniyas who were sucking up to MR and now saying pirith with Sirisena. Thats the tragedy of Sri Lanka. Its time citizens took the law into their hands and castrate these vulktures
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silva / March 11, 2017
[Edited out]I dont know the reason that is not necessary to become a doctor. Please ask some of your schoolmate who studied medicine in state university ‘ what is clinical training?’ before writing this kind of article. Please dont write with imaginations.
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ST / March 11, 2017
This is a personal story and a personal justification.
In your eyes, you are at injustice. It is not the children who protest who has done injustice to you.
It is a fraudulent institute.
The children protest against a fraudulent institute, a business.
The administration of the institute doesn’t fight back enough.
The students fight back now as they have been let down honestly, not by SLMC but by the institute.
The institute doesn’t make an attempt to secure the students future by all means.
You fail to see that and white wash it.
I don’t even want to compare the standards of FMUOC here because it’s pointless to compare NHSL and that hosp.
With an institute a governing body fails to give recognition there is threat to the public.
It is a well known fact.
This piece of writing is your life.
It has your personal reasoning.
You have all the right to write it and share it.
The gravity of the problem lies beyond all this.
But your personal story cannot be linked with the root of a problem
In a rational battle there are two sides.
You led to injustice vs the health system in the face of injustice.
Safety of patient care vs an institute a governing body which fails to give recognition.
You should fight the institute.
Not the people you might work with one day in a ward.
You should fight for a way, to get the best in your medical education completed.
Its injustice to you but a fraudulent institute’s mistakes can’t be accommodated to a third world country’s health system.
Lastly all in all a countries entire population’s health is at sake.
Written by another S Korala
from the otherside.
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Sahani Koralage / March 11, 2017
Dear Mister S from the other side,
Rest assured that I have absolutely no intention of whitewashing the place I learn at. If there’s something faulty we’ll be the first to speak against that.
These personal stories had to come out thanks to your lot slinging mud at the students accusing them as A/L failures, Idiots and non deserving wannabes.
You fight for what you believe in, You have all the right to do so. Just keep in mind that your freedom to wag the stick ends where my nose begins.
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silva / March 11, 2017
dear Mr ST
if they fight they will loss the money or they have to do some real exam which they cant immagine getting through. if they have adequate IQ y they tried to become via back door?
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Eusense / March 12, 2017
ST
If SAITM was a SLMC accredited institution, students who should be studying there now are the ones who entered for dentistry and veterinary that year, not you. That is how you maintain high standards of medicine. Many of those students unlike you may have had no land to sell and join this shady SAITM and the rest I guess were smart enough to recognize SAITM as a scam.
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pakasilva Jayabhoomi / March 11, 2017
Silva, you are just fit to climb coconut trees if you dont understand what this child is saying
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kolla / March 11, 2017
There is not such thing as free education, the question is if it the entire country (both tax paying and non tax paying plus future generations) pay for it or individual parents pay for it, so called private….those who are against the private education is all about jealousy and hatred and nothing but… tha same people would have payed for the private AL tuition very willingly as they were well within their budgets…. when they are not within their budgets cry foul…
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gaya / March 11, 2017
the students of state unis are fighting against a frauds sustandardised institution!!
It’s your problem that you have not read papers and wanted to enter medicine in back door.
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Surendra Perera / March 11, 2017
Gaya, why the hell do they have a common MCQ exam and see who will pass. The back door entrants are the veddahs from Bintenna
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