The decision to admit private students to the medical faculty of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) has been reversed following strong opposition from a group of parliamentarians representing the National People’s Power (NPP), who are medical professionals.
The initial move to open admissions to fee-paying local students was quietly approved by the Health Ministry and the university administration, according to internal sources.
However, the decision drew immediate backlash from within Parliament, particularly from NPP MPs who raised their objections during a party leadership meeting held on May 22, just a day after KDU had issued a public announcement calling for applications.
Citing long-standing party policy, the NPP MPs argued that the enrolment of private students at state-affiliated medical faculties was a direct violation of government principles and could potentially undermine the public healthcare system.
Noting the substantial cost of around Rs. 20 million that students would be required to pay for a medical degree, they called it an unfair barrier that benefits only the wealthy.
The MPs also highlighted the NPP’s historic opposition to private medical institutions, referencing their pivotal role in the campaign against the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) in Malabe.
“This move is in total contradiction to national policy and our efforts to maintain equity in medical education,” they reportedly told party leaders.
In response to the mounting pressure, a sudden policy shift was announced. It was decided that only military cadets and foreign students would be eligible for admission to the KDU medical faculty moving forward.
The revision was officially communicated to Parliament by Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara later that same day.
A representative from the NPP’s MP group of medical professionals claimed that even senior government leaders had not been informed of the initial decision to admit private students.
“It was a unilateral decision by the Health Minister and the university administration,” the MP said, adding that the process lacked transparency and broader consultation.
Leave a comment