Colombo (LNW): A controversy has arisen regarding the appointments to the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) made by the former Minister of Health, suggesting a potential violation of the Medical Ordinance, a report by Daily Mirror disclosed.
The concern revolves around the alleged breach of Section 29(f) of the Medical Ordinance, which mandates that at least two council members nominated by the Minister should not be government employees or recipients of a government pension, according to report.
It has been revealed that the former minister, seemingly overlooking these regulations, appointed four members, thus violating the aforementioned section, the local news agency reported quoting medical practitioners.
Three of these appointees, namely Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Dr. Anwar Hamdani, and Dr. Janaka Rajapaksha, are known to be employed by the Ministry of Health. This action appears to contravene Section 12(f) of the Medical Ordinance, allowing the Health Minister to appoint only two members who are government employees, they emphasised.
Additionally, the removal of the sole council member not receiving a salary or pension occurred without a valid reason, reportedly at the request of the President of SLMC. The ousted member had raised concerns about irregular activities within the council.
In light of these issues, specialists and medical practitioners are urging the new Health Minister to investigate the matter to ensure that council appointments strictly adhere to the provisions of the Medical Ordinance.
