ECONMYNEXT — Sri Lanka must not expand medial education without addressing capacity issues in internships, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said.
GMOA general secretary Haritha Alutghe told reporters on Tuesday May 07 that state-owned medical faculties, which can fill nearly 2,100 students, will soon be full to capacity over the next few years, which will result in issues pertaining to internships.
“The state’s medical faculties can enroll nearly 2,100 students. At present there’s 1,300 or 1,400 at those faculties. In three or four years, it will surpass 2,100. We do not have vacancies for 2,000 internships,” said Aluthge.
“We have said categorically that there must not be any expanding of medical education without paying attention to the internship issue,” he said.
There is opposition among some academics, trade unions and leftist parties to private participation in higher education, particularly in the field of medicine.
“If medicine is to be expanded and if new faculties are to be opened, they must adhere to the minimum standards set by the Sri Lanka Medical Council. This is the law. The president or anyone else cannot break this law. The law pertaining to minimum standards of medical education was one that was passed in parliament,” said Aluthge.
“We have stressed that no one can violate it. If anything is must be developed further,” he added.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently said Sri Lanka needs a new education system that aligns with global standards and can cultivate professionals suited for the competitive world market.
“I firmly advocate for education reforms and the creation of a new educational paradigm in our country. Our focus should be on nurturing professionals who can thrive in the global arena,” Wickremesinghe said speaking at an event in February.
“To drive economic transformation, our education system must align with international standards, equipping students to compete effectively,” Wickremesinghe said after distributing free school textbooks and uniforms to the students.
“By alleviating exam pressures and incorporating English and technology subjects, we aim to groom a workforce ready for the demands of the modern world. Plans are also underway to establish vocational colleges and technical universities to further this objective.” (Colombo/May07/2024)