GMOA plays the politics of nationalization

The issue of higher education is brought into focus with the diversion of the politics of nationalization, and the GMOA doing the SAITM dance that hides the real issues involved. The Government needs to go beyond this dance of the unreal to make a proper impact on higher education.

As I write this the media have reports of the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) confirming its decision to launch a strike throughout the country the next day (April 7). We learn that the doctors who go on strike at government institutions will also stop private practice elsewhere tomorrow, leading to a massive interruption to health services in the country. The stopping of private practice in the period of this strike is an acceptance of the criticism about how government medical officers who are ready to disrupt health service in state institutions, are ready to make money from private practice on the same days. That burden on the public will be heavier as a result of the new decision, but it is a noted recognition of questionable standards that government doctors apply to the stoppage of work.

The right of government doctors to strike is not being questioned. But one issue is whether this is the most suitable time for such action. Dengue is spreading in many parts of the country, and the H1N1 influenza is also spreading fast, with many areas badly affected, although not an epidemic. The University of Peradeniya has closed down due to the flu, and the Kandy Hospital has a special ward to treat the university students; and university students are among the biggest supporters of the GMOA. It is in such a situation that the GMOA has thought it fit to go ahead with its strike, over an issue that does not directly affect the wider public, but is certainly an important issue relating to higher education.

The issue relating to SAITM, that is the slogan of this strike, calling for the nationalization of this institution, seems a peculiar twist of government medical thinking in the country, with a belief that nationalization could solve the major issue of educational standards. It is also significant that the GMOA has not been so widely and loudly opposed to SAITM when it was strongly supported by the previous government, although Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Joint Opposition have changed their thinking on it today. It is also no secret that the GMOA is silent about the poor standards, noticeable lack of facilities for good medical education that prevail in some of the state universities that have medical faculties today. The GMOA is also silent about the poor education and training undergone by those Sri Lankan students who obtain a medical education in many foreign universities, and how they find it difficult to pass the subsequent examination by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) they have to sit to be registered for medical practice.

Medical education

There is obviously a major situation involving the standards of medical education in the country. This is also related to the district quota system under which admissions to the universities are made, with a clearly unfair advantages heaped on students from certain districts, and the unfair situation faced by others. There is no doubt that a large number of GMOA members today must be those who have benefited from this university selection process. What is needed is the total revision of this process, and the introduction of a wholly fair scheme of university entrance, especially for medicine and other fields of science.

Raising the standards of medical education is a national issue and should certainly beyond the SAITM slogan, and the politics with which it is associated today. Those learned in the medical profession, such as the Deans of the Medical Faculties, and at least two well recognized Emeritus Professors of Medicine have made very valuable proposals that must be studied, as well as the recommendations of the SLMC. Rushing to nationalize whole or part of SAITM is not the answer to this question, which will only keep the problem to be resolved at a later date. It can be resolved now, with correct policy making by the government, not being pushed around by even the strongest trade union in the country. Higher Education needs a more purposeful and realistic approach, and away from the cheap slogan of nationalization, as well as the hollow arguments made by the Minister of Higher Education that an order by the Court of Appeal is Law. Parliament is there to pass laws and the courts only interpret them. One must also not forget that the former Minister of High Education did little with the SLMC’s previous recommendations on SAITM, and his calls for SAITM support comes with much of political self interest.

The GMOA and SAITM have posed an important issue that affects higher education in the country. Any solution the Government reaches on it, and without delay, must certainly go beyond the political and organisational interest of these two institutions, and think of the larger benefit to the people of this country, who are fast losing all faith in what is most questionably called Free Education today.

Post fast politics

The politics of the JO did take some steps backward with Wimal Weerawansa taking that glass of milk offered by the Sangha to break his second farce of a fast. He remains in Remand Custody, with the Fort Magistrate turning down his plea to be released, due to what was supposed to be his daughter’s illness and the need to care for her. What stood out at the end of this farce was the clear independence of the judiciary, where the Fort Magistrate made it clear there was insufficient evidence to support his plea for bail.

With all major political parties busy organizing their May Day activities, the JO seems to think they have received a big push to realize Mahinda Rajapaksa’s pledge to topple the government this year. The JO sees the new promise of success in getting Galle Face Green for its May Day Rally. The JO- Galle Face combine for this May Day has all the signs of a very good political calculation by the UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

There was a time, many decades ago, when the Galle Face Green was the symbol of May Day activity in the country, when the day showed the power of the working people, organised by the left wing political parties, mainly the LSSP. May Day is now much less of a demonstration of working class or workers and peasants strength, but instead a colourful competition among the major political parties, that has pushed the red flag of the workers to a side. With crowd gathering – involving bus transport, lunch packets and spiritual delights, too – being the sign of success in the current May Day activities, the JO will certainly have a great deal to do to make Galle Face their major stepping stone to overthrow the UPFA – UNP government of ‘National Unity’. So far it has been boasting of the huge crowds it had at the two rallied held at Nugegoda, in the ‘Rising with Mahinda’ move before the last General Election, and later in the move to show MR’s leadership of the JO. The Nugegoda crowds certainly held up traffic and enabled sections of the media to give the impression of a huge public presence at these events. Nugegoda is a busy town, and an overflowing crowd is not difficult to have at such a place.

Galle Face Green is a much bigger place, with no busy junction, no traffic to be blocked, and a really large land area to cover. It will certainly need all the support that the parties of the JO has – and much more of public support than that too, to make a really big show at the Green. With the new support that MR has received from Sinhala entertainers, and the local government members who are out of office due to the delay in LG polls, it does have some good crowd pulling capability. This will no doubt be supported by the Sinhala nationalist sections that are building a wave of populism in the country.

Galle Face is a real challenge to the JO - possibly with the need to thank the Green Elephant leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, for giving it this chance to show how ready they are to overthrow the Yahapalana Government, even before the two years of the SLFP - UNP agreement comes to an end in August this year. But, the Galle Face draw will also be a threat to the SLFP’s, and to a lesser extent the UNP’s May Day plans, because of the support that may go to the JO show due to the continuing delay in local government polls.

It looks like the Galle Face Green has returned to a new height among the venues of political expression in the country.