Minister of Higher Education and Highways Lakshman Kiriella brushed off the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) opposition to the solution offered by the government on the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) issue.

“We cannot just abolish SAITM,” the Minister said. “We as the government have offered a solution to the issue and all parties must accept that.”

“The GMOA is a trade union and cannot intervene in the matters of education or medical education,” he further pointed out.

The GMOA has threatened stronger trade union action in response to the government solution, which they are against.

“The Deans of eight medical faculties offered the government solutions to the problem but the government has come up with an entirely different set of solutions,” GMOA Secretary Dr. Navin Zoysa accused yesterday.