The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) urges the Health Ministry to take prompt action to implement minimum standards of medical education without any further delay.
The GMOA members addressing the media in Colombo yesterday, claimed that Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne was obstructing the process of implementing the minimum standards for medical education.
“The minimum standards should be gazetted promptly so as to streamline medical education. The Medical Council (MC) has already prepared a draft of the minimum standards and has sent it to the Attorney General for his recommendations,” GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said.
However, he accused the Health Minister that he has been obstructing to the process of legalising the code of minimum standards when considering his political career.
He added that at recent discussions the GMOA had with the Prime Minister, both parties had come to a common stance to implement the code of minimum standards with immediate effect at most within a few weeks period.
“There is no need of holding further rounds of discussions with the Prime Minister, if the minimum standards are not implemented,” he said. He noted that the Central Committee of the GMOA will discuss the matter on Sunday, July 23, aiming to come to a decision in this regard. According to him the GMOA may go for a tough trade union action even if the relevant authorities fail to implement the minimum standards.
The GMOA accused that the Government has misled people about taking over the ownership of SAITM teaching hospital.
The GMOA will ask the Health Ministry for the details of the bipartite agreement signed between SAITM authorities and the Health Ministry when transferring ownership. Under the Right of Information Act, the GMOA will request the Health Ministry to publish the details of the agreements.