• No application received for registration, says Minister

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) has rejected the Aberdeen-Asiri MBChB Degree Programme through “Sri Lanka Medical Pathway”, which is yet to receive the approval from the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK, The Morning learnt. As confirmed by University of Colombo Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Education Head Prof. Indika Karunathilake, the GMC has only approved the UK-based University of Aberdeen MBChB Programme and “Sri Lanka Medical Pathway” is still under consideration. “Therefore, there is no necessity for the SLMC to consider approving the proposed Sri Lanka Pathway,” he noted. "The UK-based programme has to be conducted in its entirety in the UK," he added. Meanwhile, the Parents’ Union of Medical Students also raised concerns over the proposed medical degree (MBChB) programme to be conducted by the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, together with the International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS) and Asiri Health Sri Lanka.   However, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, who is also the Minister of Information, Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, said a university or degree-awarding institute couldn’t be established without the approval of the Higher Education Ministry. He also stated that the relevant authorities hadn’t received an application to set up a private university here. Last week, students of the medical faculties at government universities staged a protest outside the SLMC against the Aberdeen-Asiri MBBS Degree Programme offered through the Sri Lanka Medical Pathway.