SAITM admissions halted

The Presidential Secretariat yesterday said that the Government had directed to halt admissions to the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), until conditions to be met by the private medical Universities are gazetted.

The Secretariat also said that the awarding of degrees at the University would also be halted, until the conditions are met. In a statement issued under the “advise of the President,”the secretariat said that, the government would gazette all such requirements including the minimum standards applicable to private medical universities.

The statement further said that there should be no impediment to the independence and impartiality of the Sri Lanka Medical Council, by a person or entity.

The statement further said that current students of the university would be provided a syllabus approved by the medical council in order to complete their education.

Students who have already completed their medical degrees would be provided with a procedure through which they would be registered with the Medical Council, the statement said.

The secretariat also said that the Government would seek the advice of the Attorney General in order to inform the Governments stance on the University to the Supreme Court

The statement also said that the university would be morphed into a Public- Private partnership and that the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital is currently in the process of being acquired to the state.

The statement also said that if the Government was willing to discuss any issue emanating from the statement with the relevant stakeholders and intends on providing solutions to all issues.