meke aluthma thathwe kohomada
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SAITM Faces Legal Action
The South Asian Institute of Medicine (SAITM) in Malabe has been rocked by a scandal as it faces prosecution for its deliberate failure to uphold assurances given to its students at the time of their enrollment.
Scores of frustrated parents have sent letters to SAITM demanding refunds and threatening legal action on the grounds of breach of contractual agreement.
Students who enrolled at SAITM in September 2009 have now been informed that the establishment was not registered as an Institute of Medicine with the Department of Registrar of Companies until February 25, 2011. According to documents retrieved from the Department of Registrar of Companies, the university was actually recognized as the South Asian Institute of Technology and Management.
Outraged parents have slammed the SAITM, saying they were misled from the beginning.
Deceptive advertisements published in the Sunday Times and the Sunday Observer throughout 2009 claimed that the fraudulent Institute was affiliated to the Nizhny Novgorod State Academy of Medicine in Russia and had official recognition by the SLMC as well as the United Kingdom Medical Council. A parent speaking to The Sunday Leader on condition of anonymity revealed that these claims have proved to be false.
Information has emerged that the medical program offered by SAITM is not accredited to Russia. A previous student of the Institute told The Sunday Leader that an email from the National Accreditation Agency of Russia in 2011 to the Higher Education Ministry confirms that the medical programme in Malabe is indeed not accredited to Russia.
An affidavit has been sent to Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) by a parent accusing the Council’s Chairman Dr. Neville Fernando of unethical conduct. When contacted by The Sunday Leader, the SLMC confirmed the existence of the affidavit but would not disclose any further information. An inquiry will be held in due course.
The pressure appears to be getting to staff at the Institute with reports of Doctors harassing students whose parents have raised issues with the enrollment scandal. Director of SAITM, Dr. Sameera Senaratne has reportedly humiliated students and forbidden parents from asking questions about the issue from the management.
New information has revealed that most of the lecturers at SAITM are foreign qualified but have failed their Act 16 final examinations on several occasions. One such lecturer is the niece of Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake.
One parent told The Sunday Leader that high level administrators from the Institute do not event know what ‘SLMC’ stands for; they believed the parents were calling with regard to an issue with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.
Another incident involving Dr. Neville Fernando is his preventing third year medical students from undergoing clinical training – an essential requirement in a medical degree. Parents and students alike are protesting that their hard earned money and years of study have been a complete waste.
“How can we gain experience without undergoing clinical training. What we do not understand is why Dr. Fernando is cheating us of this real experience in government hospitals. Does he not know the importance of clinical training? Why can’t he rectify this situation before our livelihoods are put in jeopardy?” a student said.
Meanwhile parents who have requested refunds for tuition fees have not been given the entire amount. One father explained, “By the time I took my son out of SAITM I had paid for an entire year. I sent a letter requesting a refund but was refunded only two months fees even though my son did not attend any classes,” said the outraged parent.
An investigation has not been announced as yet.
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/01/01/saitm-faces-legal-action/
