Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage S.B. Dissanayake says that no one can stop SAITM from awarding medical degrees and that the decision of registering the graduates of the private medical college rests solely with the Health Minster. 

“SAITM has been legalized. Nobody can stop SAITM from awarding medical degrees,” he said, responding to questions from journalists while attending the national commemoration ceremony held today (25) to mark International White Cane Safety Day. 

“Registering the students who obtained that medical degree is something that can be done based on the unilateral decision of the minister.” However, he stated that the government is still trying to peacefully resolve this issue in a democratic manner. 

“If I was the Health Minister, they would have already been registered and even already working, because that authority is vested with the minister.” 

But Minister of Health Dr Rajitha Senaratne is attempting to resolve this problem in a much for peaceful manner while it’s the same with the President and the Prime Minister, he said. “This problem has to end by them being accepted as doctors.”    

Asked about doctors threatening to strike again over the issue, Dissanayake stated that if doctors strike for 3 days or more the people will take care of them, their families and their homes. “Tell them to strike for 3-4 days and see what will happen.” 

On the demands to shut down the private medical college, he said that it was not opened for the purpose of closing it down again. 

“It was I who gazetted and gave it (SAITM) the authority to award degrees.” The former Higher Education Minister said that he was prepared to allow a few more universities including a British University and an Indian university to award medical degrees but due this SAITM issue they got a bit delayed.

 “If not I would have brought 3 or 4 medical universities. The country needs that,” he added.