SAITM ready to hand over Rs. 4 b teaching hospital to Govt.

SAITM CEO Dr. Sameera Senaratne and SAITM Chairman Dr. Neville Fernando (R) 

- Pic by Shehan Gunasekera

By Devin Jayasundera

In a rare media appearance, SAITM Chairman Dr. Neville Fernando announced that the teaching hospital of the institute would be handed over to the Government, effectively allowing it to be nationalised and claimed that the Sri Lanka Medical Council’s (SLMC) reluctance to recognise SAITM MBBS graduates was a result of a personal vendetta against him.

One of the main criticisms of SAITM has been the inadequate clinical exposure offered to its medical students. This was a primary observation by the special inspection committee appointed by the SLMC in 2015. The committee highlighted it as a “grave concern” in their report concluding that the student to patient ratio was not sufficient for a teaching hospital.  

Dr. Fernando believes the Government’s appropriation will attract more patients to the hospital. “The reason is there will be a lot of patients coming into the hospital. Then we are able to provide better clinical experience for our students,” he told reporters.

“The administration of the hospital will be handed over to the Government, including all assets which amount to about Rs. 4 billion,” Dr. Fernando told Daily FT. However, five professorial units of the hospital will be under the management of SAITM.

In a previous press briefing in August 2016, SAITM stated that even though it was willing to engage in a public-private partnership with the Government it was not ready to dilute the original ownership. The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has been pushing for the nationalisation of its hospital including its medical faculty alleging that it was established on fraudulent grounds. However, Dr. Fernando says the decision was not made under pressure and the new partnership with the Government will enable them to silence critics of the institution. 

“This hospital was started with a non-profit motive. We have already provided Rs. 500 million in scholarships. Currently more than 12,000 patients visit the hospital. On Tuesdays and Fridays we have free clinics. The dialysis unit charges people only to cover operational expenses. As this is a private hospital this is not possible to do in the long term. That is why our Chairman has decided to hand it over to the Government,” said SAITM CEO Dr. Sameera Senaratne.

SAITM has already communicated its intentions to President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Minister of Higher Education Lakshman Kiriella. Dr. Senaratne said the Government had set up a special committee appointed by the Prime Minister to discuss the details of the acquisition.

Dr. Fernando has been in hot water with the SLMC during the last couple of years. He says that irreconcilable differences with the regulatory body are due to personal matters and have nothing to do with actual facts.  

Last November, Dr. Fernando filed a defamation case against SLMC President Carlo Fonseka for his comments alleging a connection between the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital and the death of Sobitha Thera. 

At the media briefing it was also revealed that Dr. Fernando had major disagreements with current SLMC Registrar Dr. Terrence De Silva, who was also a former member of the academic staff and a parent of a SAITM student.  

“SLMC Registrar Dr. Terrence De Silva’s daughter was a student of SAITM. At the end of every term we have a compulsory test but she didn’t come for that. She sent a medical certificate to say that she was suffering from a viral flu. That evening we had a Halloween night where this girl dressed in a Japanese costume and was dancing till midnight. If she had viral fever she should have died on that day. So the professors though that this was a bogus medical certificate and asked her to face the medical board but she never came. She didn’t come after that and she got deregistered and has filed a case against SAITM,” alleged Dr. Fernando. 

According to sources, the case filed by SAITM students seeking eligibility for SLMC registrations is set to reach a verdict at the end of the year, ahead of court holidays.