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Review of the “report of the committee appointed to look in to the matters

related to the proposed Private Medical School (SAITM) at Malabe” 

Introduction

The five member committee appointed to look in to the matter of South Asian Institute of Technologyand Medicine (SAITM) formerly known as the South Asian Institute of Technology and Management, had

submitted its report to His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 22nd March 2012.

It had taken an agonizing seven lingering months for the “committee” to compile the 22 paged report

which was the result of a discussion between the Minster of Health and the GMOA at the verge of an

Island wide trade union action (TUA). The GMOA, subsequently postponed the TUA on several

conditions one of which was the appointment of a five member committee and produce a report on

SAITM. Specific terms of reference were given to the committee as guideline in their inquiry.

Overview

The report in general is a short summery of all that had occurred at SAITM from the beginning to the

period of time when the committee was appointed. The committee had done a commendable job in

interviewing and compiling evidence from all necessary and relevant parties.

It is evident that the committee has had a very professional and meticulous approach to the matter and

as a result a very clear and simple chronological order has been presented in an issue which was highly

complicated and at times deliberately misrepresented and confused.

However, careful perusal of the report finds few errors and mistakes in the text of the report which

indicate lack of attention in spite of the very long period it had taken for the committee to come up with

it. Further the most striking and for some the shocking revelation is the stark contrast and the

incongruity of the entire report and especially the observations with the conclusions of the report.

The report

1.  The five member committee report had finally confirmed that what the Government Medical

Officers' Association had been highlighting from the beginning of the issue is all factually correct.

The committee had crosschecked independently and truthfully, all allegations against SAITM

leveled by the GMOA and had reported that each and every one of them was true.

2.  The committee had not only identified but also named the individuals within SAITM and in other

relevant institutions including the Ministry of Health who were responsible for the irregular,

unethical and illegal operation of SAITM

3.  The report had clearly indicated the owner and the management of SAITM had

“misrepresented” information and deceived not only the parents but also the BOI and the

Ministry of Health.

4.  The report points out that SAITM had not headed the call by the Ministry of Health to stop

recruiting student until the issue is settled.

5.  The report finds that at least two students have been enrolled to SAITM below the minis=mum

entry criteria stipulated by SLMC.

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6.  The report clearly indicated with ample evidence that SAITM had been established without an

intention of a Medical degree program and the subsequent introduction of the medical degree

neither had BOI approval nor the SLMC recognition. SAITM had failed to fulfill the BOI

requirement of having a proper affiliation with a foreign university and obtain approval from the

Ministry of Health.

7.  SAITM did not have a plan for clinical training of its medical students and their attempts to

circumvent the issue with various means of deception had robbed the students and their

parents depriving them of what they were promised.

8.  The delegation of SAITM had indicated to the committee that the Teaching hospital will be

completed by April 2012 (contrary to the news paper advertisement by SAITM in 2011

November that it will be finished by March 2012)

Observations and conclusions of the report

1.  The committee had clearly exceeded the mandate (terms of reference) given by indicating/

suggesting modes of a “way out” to SAITM in its conclusion.

2.  The conclusions have absolutely no connection or relevance to the observation the committee

had made throughout the report. While the observations are very daring and clear some of the

conclusions are contradictory.

Eg: the committee observes that the SAITM had continued to enroll students in spite of the

Secretary Health advising them not to do so until the issue is settled. This is clearly a

precautionary measure to avoid a situation where the “enrolled” students being an obligation in

the event of SAITM having to cease its operations. However, the committee suggests that the

SLMC should respond to SAITM for their application for accreditation with regard to the two

new batches since they have been admitted after the Gazette notification.

3.  While the committee had observed that the Gazette notification is prospective and there are

many shortcomings SAITM had thus far failed to fulfill. However, it is simply unexplainable how

the committee concluded that SAITM should “continue to recruit” only one batch per year. It

should be highlighted that a teaching hospital is still not in the vicinity.

4.  The report had failed to observe the temporal relationship of the three review panels by the

UGC prior to granting the degree awarding status. While stating that the institutional and

subject review panels have indicated that SAITM should be reviewed in 6 months to consider

degree awarding status, the sudden rush and awarding degree awarding status had been

ignored.

Conclusion

1.  The five member committee report had perfect spot on observations and had managed to grasp

the chronological order and the irregular, unlawful manner of operations.

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2.  The conclusions exceed the mandate of the committee and incongruent with the findings of the

committee suggesting tampering and manipulation.

3.  Being a high profile report produced by a committee appointed by the Minister of Health and

presented to His Excellency the president, the observations should be well noted and the

responsible individuals should be dealt with appropriate laws and institutions such as the

Judiciary, Financial fraud, BOI and internal inquiry by the ministry of Health.

By Dr Sankalpa Marasinghe