Johnston tells politicians to leave NWP Medical Faculty issue to doctors

Politicians should let the doctors and experts to decide matters pertaining to the professorial unit of the Wayamba University’s Medical Faculty since it was not a task for political leaders, Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said on Tuesday.

When journalists asked the Minister for his position on the ongoing dispute over the location of the professorial unit, the Minister said politicians should not get involved in the matters decided by medical experts and professionals.

Fernando said after opening the Regional Consular Office of the Foreign Ministry in Kurunegala town,

 “Politicians should not be involved in this matter which should be left to the medical professional. It is during the last government the politicians decided that the professorial unit of the Wayamba Medical Faculty should be in Kuliyapitiya. Now, the doctors have pointed out it should be relocated to the Kurunegala hospital, for it is the most suitable place to provide medical students with clinical training. The doctors and medical practitioners are the most qualified to make decisions in this regard. I have not got involved in this matter and respect the opinion of the doctors. Let them decide.” 

The regional consular office was opened by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa via zoom from Temple Trees. Leader of the House and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was also present. 

 The regional consular office would help hundreds of thousands of people in the Wayamba Province and save their time and money because they can now make use of those services without visiting the Foreign Ministry in Colombo, the minister said.

 “Tens of thousand of people from Wayamba are working overseas. There are also many manpower agencies in the Kurunegala town. Those who had to travel to Colombo over matters related to their foreign travel can not have their needs taken care of here.”

The Regional Consular office is located on the Third Floor of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services Building at No 2, Dambulla Road, Kurunegala. The office could be contacted through email – kurunegala.consular@mfa.gov.lk, Tele – 037 222 5931, Fax – 037 222 5941