The Grade Medical Officers’ Union (GMOU) opposed private medical education including SAITM and Kothalawala Defence University’s Medical Faculty. Talented university students do not have money to obtain private medical education, GMOU Secretary Dr. Niroshan Premaratne said.
Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday, he said the organisations, groups and persons who oppose SAITM has hidden agendas. Their opposition is fake. But the GMOU is against all types of private medical education, including the Medical Faculty at Kothalawala Defence University. Other organisations did not utter a word against Kothalawala Defence University when the Medical Ordinance was amended, the GMOU Secretary said.
According to Dr. Premaratne, some do not oppose private medical education if required standards are met, but the GMOU is against all types of private medical education. Sri Lanka does not need private medical education. The country is not matured enough to have private medical educational institutions, he said.
The GMOU held discussions with the then Finance Minister and managed to include in 2015 Budget proposals that `the government assists private medical education except private medical faculties’, Dr. Premaratne said.