- Specialists note that even the Sabaragamuwa Uni. is in favour of establishing new wards for prof. unit; Uni. also notes staff shortage
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana has expressed regret to the concerned medical specialists regarding a statement made by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian, attorney Thalatha Athukorala that they (the specialists) are against providing general wards at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital to establish a professorial unit of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Sabaragamuwa.
Speaking in Parliament early this week, Athukorala said that three medical specialists at the said hospital are working against the establishment of a professorial unit. “Consultant Paediatrician Saman Abeywardana, Consultant Physician K. Jeganathan, and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Maithri Chandraratne are working against everything. That is where the issue arises. Because of these three individuals, the futures of students are in the dark.”
When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the matter, Dr. Abeywardana said that there was no possibility to provide general wards for the proposed professorial unit according to the relevant circulars. “When a hospital is elevated to the level of a provincial general hospital, there should be three wards allocated for each medical specialty. So there are three wards for each medical specialty at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital. They were established well before the establishment of a Medical Faculty at the Sabaragamuwa University.”
He also said that even the University was of the view that what is required is to establish wards for the professorial unit anew, instead of asking for existing general wards. “The Health Minister and the Health Ministry Secretary have also made it clear that there is no possibility to provide general wards for a professorial unit. It is in such a situation that MP Athukorala said in Parliament that we are disrupting, mentioning our names and personal details. However, Dr. Pathirana spoke to us personally, and expressed regret. He also said that he would make a statement in Parliament in response to Athukorala's allegation.”
There needs to be infrastructure facilities such as wards and clinics for patients, and theatres with professors and lecturers attached to the Medical Faculty of the Sabaragamuwa University to establish a professorial unit at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital. Medical specialists attached to the Ministry are tasked with training third and fourth-year students of the University at present.
Sources within the University told The Daily Morning that even though a building is built, there is a grossly inadequate number of permanent clinical staff attached to the Faculty, and that the existing staff will not be able to run busy wards.