Allied Health Sciences students’ rights issue settled
WASANTHA RAMANAYAKE
Allied Health Sciences Students rights issue was settled on Monday
before the Supreme Court with the parties agreeing among other things
that any future intake of students to the Peradeniya University Allied
Health Science Faculty (AHSF) would be made only with the consultation
of all the parties including the GMOA.
The court also directed that the students of the AHSF would not make
independent decisions regarding patient care but should be subject to
Consultants and Medical Supervisors when they would under go the
hospital based training..
The parties agreed that the students attached to AHSF would not be
given their hospital based training at the Peradeniya and Kandy Teaching
Hospitals.
Instead the students following the degree programs in nursing,
pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiography would have their training at the
Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. Medical laboratory science training would
be provided at the Medical Laboratory Teaching School in Peradeniya and
Radio Therapy training would be provided at the Cancer Hospital,
Maharagama.
According to the court order the medical students currently
undergoing their clinical training at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital
would be re-directed to the Peradeniya and Kandy Teaching Hospitals.
The Bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC with Justice Ms.
Shirani Thilakawardane and Justice K. Sripavan.
Petitioner University of Peradeniya filed the fundamental rights
application in the Supreme Court against the failure of the respondents
to grant clinical training facilities to the students attached to the
AHSF of University of Peradeniya.
The petitioner stated that the AHSF conducted five Bachelors of
Science degree programs in nursing, pharmacy, medical laboratory
science, physiotherapy and radiography.
The petitioner stated that the respondents failed to grant the
approval to provide students following these courses at the government
two teaching hospitals and the peripheral hospitals, in violation of the
rights of the university since the students following degree programs of
nursing at Kelaniya and Sri Jayewardenepura universities were providing
clinical training at Ragama and Kalubowila Teaching Hospitals,
respectively.
The petitioner cited several respondents including the Minister of
Health, the Health Ministry, Secretary to the Ministry, Director General
of Health Services and Attorney General as respondents.
President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva PC appeared for the petitioner.
Deputy Solicitor General Ms. Bimba Thilakarathne Jayasinghe appeared
for the Attorney General.
President’s Counsel S.A. Parthalingam appeared for the GMOA.
Sanjeewa Jayawardane appeared for the medical students of the
Perdeniya University.
|