Claiming that the Government’s decision to stop admitting local students to the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Medical Faculty has made many parents anxious about their children’s chances of getting into standard private medical institutions in Sri Lanka, the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association (MEPA) stated that the Government should clearly explain its position on private medical education.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, the MEPA President, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said that the move has created fear among parents, especially about institutions like the proposed medical faculty of the National School of Business Management Green University in Homagama and semi-government and private medical institutions in the country. “Through decisions of this sort, children’s right to access higher education under fair conditions is being taken away. The Government should clearly say what their plans are," pointed out Dr. Sanjeewa.
He also claimed that some of the individuals seeking to block local students from entering institutions such as the KDU Medical Faculty may have their own agenda. “We feel that certain individuals who are trying to close doors for local students might be representing foreign universities in Sri Lanka. These foreign medical university agents are taking advantage of situations like this and making money by sending students abroad. Some of the people who oppose private medical education here have sent their own children to study medicine overseas," he added.
His comments come as a Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by a group of students who were blocked from applying to the KDU Medical undergraduate programme. The students, who had either already applied or were getting ready to apply for the 2025 (this year) / 2026 (next year) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree intake, said that the Government's decision is unfair and violates their constitutional right to be treated equally. They also pointed out that Sri Lankan citizens with foreign qualifications are still allowed to apply as “foreign students” which puts local students who studied here at a clear disadvantage.
The change was officially announced in the Parliament on 22 May by the Deputy Defence Minister, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.), who said that the MBBS programme at the KDU Medical Faculty would now only accept cadet officers and foreign students.