Clinical training for Moratuwa medical students to begin at Nagoda Teaching Hospital

Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that steps would be initiated to address the longstanding issue of providing clinical training for students of the Medicine Faculty at the Moratuwa University. The problem is due to a lack of suitable hospital facilities and resources. The minister also highlighted plans to enhance the Malabe Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital into an efficient healthcare facility.

A special meeting, chaired by Dr. Jayatissa, was recently held at the Health Ministry to explore solutions to these challenges. Representatives from the Health Ministry, the Higher Education Ministry, the Treasury, the Management Services Department, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Moratuwa University, the Kalutara Nagoda Teaching Hospital, and other relevant institutions participated.

Currently, nearly 400 medical students across four academic years are enrolled at the Medicine Faculty. Those entering their fourth year in mid-2024 must commence mandatory clinical training next year. However, the lack of adequately equipped hospitals and trained staff posed a significant barrier, which this meeting aimed to resolve.

Although the Kalutara District General Hospital was nominally designated as a teaching hospital in 2021, its resources remain insufficient for clinical training. Proposals to utilise the Malabe Neville Fernando Hospital were also reviewed during the meeting, but it was revealed that the hospital lacks the required patient volume and skilled human resources for clinical training.

Following discussions, it was decided to commence clinical training for Moratuwa medical students at the Nagoda Teaching Hospital in Kalutara starting July 2024. The hospital will undergo necessary infrastructure development in the coming months, supported by the allocation of essential human and physical resources. Relevant institutions were tasked with addressing resource gaps promptly.

Key decisions included deploying specialist doctors, staff, and essential facilities to the hospital and ensuring that the Treasury provides the required financial allocations for the planned developments. Additionally, proposals were made to integrate the Neville Fernando Hospital under the Health Ministry and develop it under a new model focusing on health tourism.

To oversee the redevelopment of the Neville Fernando Hospital, the minister appointed a special committee led by Health Services Director General, Dr. Asela Gunawardena. This committee was instructed to submit a comprehensive development plan by December end.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Health and Media Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, Acting Health Ministry Secretary Wathsala Priyadarshani, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena and representatives from all relevant institutions.

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