This decision was taken following the presentation of the report on SAITM issues to the top level government committee by the Health Ministry recently.

According to findings of the report, due recognition should be given to public health/community medicine, and forensic facilities. These facilities are being provided at the government hospitals.

Therefore the SAITM should follow the court orders to give due recognition as it is liable to adhere to the law of the country, the report pointed out.

The other reason was the lack of clinics for SAITM interns mainly due to not having enough patients in private hospitals if they are allowed to undergo clinical practices.

The high powered government committee also rejected a request made by the Ministry of Public Enterprises Development to grant approval for a Japanese funded proposal made during the previous regime.

The debate about SAITM appears to be heating up at present as it is still not recognised by the Sri Lanka Medical Council.(SLMC). According to this council SAITM does not qualify to be recognised as a medical institution since its standards do not meet required criteria.

The Medical Ordinance is the current law of the country. The SLMC practices it.

Medical students of SAITM will never receive the registration of the SLMC which prevents those students from becoming doctors, according to the current law, the report disclosed.

Since SAITM medical students who have already passed out from it do not get SLMC registration, they will never receive internship in Sri Lanka.

SLMC refused to register the first batch of 30 medical students who had passed out from SAITM and the aggrieved students were preparing a petition seeking redress, to be filed in the Supreme Court.