SAITM medical students confident to serve Sri Lanka

As students of the MBBS programme at the South Asian Institute Technology and Medicine (SAITM), we sincerely hope that the government  takes urgent  note of the many obstacles placed in our path  and adopt  immediate and appropriate  measures to allow us  to take our   rightful  place as doctors  within  the health structure of  Sri Lanka.

All students registered for the MBBS Degree have been studying   under some of the best professors and lecturers in the country for the past 6+ years, such as Professor Neville Perera, Prof. Deepal Weerasekera, Prof. Deepthi Samarage, Prof. Kolitha Sellahewa, Dr.Narendra Pinto, Dr.Vasantha Perera, Dr.Mahendra Perera and a host of other excellent teachers.

Our graduates are knowledgeable, capable and highly committed to assume their rightful place as fully-fledged doctors to serve Sri Lanka. We can state with utmost confidence that the entry criteria for the SAITM MBBS programme is regulated by the Ministry of Higher Education of Sri Lanka.

 “All students currently registered for the MBBS degree programme have fulfilled the UGC entry criteria. Moreover, the final examinations for the MBBS have been conducted according to UGC regulations along with the participation of both internal examiners from SAITM and external examiners from state medical faculties” explains Dilshan Fernando, SAITM MBBS Graduate.

“SAITM students have always said they are ready to face any unbiased examination, if so required, which will surely provide the students with the opportunity to dispel once and for all the myths pertaining to the quality of our education “pointed out. Prageeth Wimalachandra, currently reading for his MBBS Degree.

The students emphasize that they too are the children of Sri Lanka.  Contrary to what is said by various parties, they are not all from super rich families. The majority of are from middle class families whose parents work hard to pay for our education. Moreover, SAITM upto now has awarded Rs 500 million worth of scholarships for deserving students.

“Although the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is legally bound to provide us provisional registration as intern medical officers, the SLMC has unfortunately rejected this possibility. Therefore, one of our colleagues has challenged this matter in courts and we are positive that the truth will finally prevail” underlined, Tharindu Ruwanpathiranage, SAITM MBBS Graduate.

We, the students of SAITM are united in our demand that we be given the opportunity to prove our worth to the citizens of Sri Lanka that we as doctors, are amongst the best and are ready to serve our motherland.