(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The Minister of Education, Prof. GL Peiris said it is planned to enroll about 41,000 students in universities this year and 371 more students will be admitted to medical faculties alone.
The Minister said this while participating in the ground breaking ceremony for the clinical and administrative building of the Medical Faculty of the Sabaragamuwa University recently.
Speaking at the occasion, the minister said there is still a shortage of medical doctors in the country.
“Also, 70 students were admitted to the Sabaragamuwa Medical Faculty in January 2019 and this time it will be increased to 100. The provision of the Medical Faculty to the Ratnapura Hospital will also provide a solution to the health problems in the area and it will also be able to provide a number of new facilities. We know that the Rajarata Teaching Hospital and the Medical Faculty have solved many health problems in the area. There is no need to send patients and samples to Colombo, especially for tests,” the Minister said.
Prof. Peiris noted that there is a great recognition in the world about Sri Lankan doctors. “In that we can make a big leap forward in the field of health.”
“Once this medical faculty is able to admit 700 to 800 students, even the development of the area will go well. This is because there is the capacity to provide other staff, non-academic staff, academic staff, support staff, restaurants and other services required for the faculties. It will also give a big boost to the economy of the people in the area,” the Minister said.
Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Minister of Health Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Minister WDJ Seneviratne, Member of Parliament Gamini Waleboda, Chairman of the University Grants Commission Prof. Sampath Amaratunga and Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula C. Gnanapala were also present on the occasion.
