• GMOA queries criteria of ‘other specified qualifications’, to seek clarification from Prez Secy. 

The medical fraternity has requested that the recruitment of local students for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) medical degree programme at the General John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) on the basis of payment be done only on the students' General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A/L) Examination results together with the relevant Z score.

It was recently reported that the Cabinet of Ministers had granted approval for the admission of local students for the said degree programme at the KDU starting this year. The Government announced that the admissions would be carried out on payment basis, and based on the ‘Z’ score at the A/L Examination, and ‘other specified qualifications’. The medical fraternity has since raised concerns over the ‘other specified qualifications’ which are slated to be considered when admitting students for the MBBS degree programme.

Speaking to the media, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Executive Committee Member, Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya said that it is the A/L results and the Z score that should be the basis for students to be admitted to medical education institutes. “What are the other qualifications? Who decided them? And who are targeted to be admitted based on such other qualifications? The Government should clarify this to the country.” He also said that they would write to the President's Secretary Saman Ekanayake, seeking a clarification on the matter.

A member of the Association of Medical Specialists, when contacted, said that a comprehensive feasibility study should be conducted before launching paid medical degree programmes. “Previously, there were several attempts to offer paid medical degrees. Each of those attempts failed due to various reasons. The closest example is the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine. When such programmes fail, the students become helpless. Therefore, such programmes should be initiated only after a proper study, and by ensuring the quality of medical education.”

The KDU was declared a University by the General John Kotelawala State Defence Training Institute (Amendment) Act, No. 27 of 1988. The Faculty of Medicine of the University was established in 2011 to train cadet officers as medical professionals and award MBBS degrees as per the service requirements of the armed services.