The Faculty o Allied Health Sciences of the University of Peradeniya, the 8th and youngest faculty of all,was closed indefinitely on 30 th January 2009 due to its inability to continue its academic programmes without access permission or its students to maintain their hospital-based training requirements in the National Hospitals of Sri Lanka. As a consequence, 464 students of 3 batches were left stranded in their homes, with stress and agony as to what their future holds.

The parents were speechless in disbelief. How on earth could such a tragedy occur when their children were admitted to the University of Peradeniya allowing a highly competitive legitimate selection process through advanced level examination.

They were equal in their right to enjoy a free education entitlement similar to all other university students. The university administration, students, and parents have gone from pillar to post to obtain access permission to the nearby Peradeniya and Kandy Teaching hospitals with no resolution in sight yet. This article analyses the events that led to this deadlock and the root causes of the dispute.

During the last 2 decades several universities, paramedical trade unions and professionals have informed the respective ministries and governments of the need to establish university degree programmes or the paramedical workers, namely nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory technologists, radiographers, radiotherapists and speech and language therapists.

They were hitherto receiving training through courses of 2-3 years duration conducted in respective schools governed by the Ministry of Health. The turning point came in early 2004 with Minister of Health Nimal Siripala de Silva requesting the University Grants Commission to establish such degree programmes in universities to be in par with the medical services of the rest o the world.

All paramedical unions, universities and the University Grants Commission (UGC) officials welcomed this proposal with open arms.

This was because of the benefits of such degree programmes were far outreaching beyond the provision of additional space or advanced level students to enter state universities. Firstly, establishment of university degree programmes in allied health subjects were already overdue as most developed and developing countries have already moved to such training including our neighbouring India.

Secondly, this would give a fantastic opportunity for our young advanced level leavers to follow several degree programmes that were in great demand world over for employment. Thirdly it would also help us improve our own health care services that were dangling due to shortages of allied health staff .

In addition, these degree programmes would change the existing paradigm and allow allied health graduates go up the ladder in education and establish better service standards in the country and promote research in the said areas of health care. Thus, the UGC and universities of Sri Lanka did all it could to develop such new degree programmes as soon as possible in Sri Lankan universities.So much so that,the innovative first batch of 25 nursing students was admitted to University of Sri Jayewardenepura to follow a B Sc Nursing programme the same year.

The University Grants Commission celebrated its 25th Anniversary by holding a workshop to scrutinise all paramedical (allied health) degree programmes on 14th March 2005 with the participation of the Hon. Minister of Health, the Secretary to Higher Education, the Chairman University Grants Commission, the Director General of Health Services and the Vice Chancellors of all universities, all Deans of Faculties of Medicine, course coordinators and trade union representatives across the island.

The University Grants Commission openly invited the seven Faculties of Medicine in the country to initiate curriculum development or any number o f programmes from amongst the 7 on offer.

Accordingly, the Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya with a strong recommendation from its Board accepted to conduct five degree courses at Peradeniya, namely, four year B Sc degree programmes or Nursing, Pharmacy, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Radio-graphy and Medical Laboratory Science in May 2005.

The University Grants Commission advertised these courses or the Advanced Level students qualifying in 2005/2006 UGC handbook and began its selection process in November 2005.

At this time a protest campaign emerged from the medical students at Peradeniya against sharing facilities within the Faculty of Medicine with the allied health students.

They demanded along with the members of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) at Peradeniya and Kandy to move away these study programs elsewhere.

This was a clear discrimination against the allied health students already entitled to utilise all facilities available in a national university according to the free education act. Hoping for an early resolution, the UGC announced a new faculty or the allied health students despite the demand made by the medical students being unjust.

Nevertheless, the vehement opposition campaign launched by the medical students continued preventing allied health students entering the medical faculty premises to utilise any facility,namely,library,lecture halls or laboratories.

The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine resigned in dismay from his post denouncing the ongoing injustice. The University of Peradeniya was helpless. It had no option but to accommodate the first batch of 171 allied health students in makeshift shelter until a suitable location was found or the establishment of the new faculty. As a consequence, their academic programmes were seriously disrupted.

However, with a hope of ameliorating the damage done, the University of Peradeniya embarked on teaching these students English and Information Technology until other academic programmes could be reorganised. The unprecedented sympathy and assistance received from the remaining faculties in the campus and voluntary contributions of staff members ensured resurrection of this new faculty through the introduction of relevant courses as planned for the degree programmes mentioned. The University expected, once a new faculty was established, the animosity towards them would cease.

Most were under the impression that the Kandy and Peradeniya Teaching hospitals will be available for their training, unhindered, as all B Sc programmes mentioned above needed hospital–based training experience advancing in content and duration with student maturity.

To ensure that above degree programmes were of international quality; their curricula were developed through international consultation,in particular, from United Kingdom, Pakistan and Malaysia.

Faculties of Science and Agriculture at Peradeniya also undertook additional burdens realising the national importance and relevance of above allied health degree programs.Lack of suitably qualified staff in the country was fulfilled by inclusion of a visiting faculty from abroad through the help of World Health Organisation and British Council.

The GMOA demanded that 4 year study duration of above B Sc degree programmes should be reduced to 3 years.This request was turned down by the University authorities as a 3 year transcript would have lesser recognition worldwide and the UGC was already committed only for the 4 year study programmes.

This brewed further conflict and the GMOA prevented allied health students accessing national hospitals for training and intimidated medical teachers volunteering to serve these students in their education. With the hope of achieving a settlement, the University of Peradeniya brought this matter before the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman by letter of 2nd November 2007 categorically stated and instructed the Secretary Health that these allied health students should be given access to national hospitals to continue their training.

As a consequence, on 8th February 2008, the Secretary Health issued a letter permitting the AHS students to utilise peripheral hospitals in Gampola, and Nawalapitiya with an added provision to negotiate with the teaching hospitals for access.

Although this gave a window of opportunity for the allied health students to continue their training, peripheral hospitals were not geared to accommodate them in large numbers. However, training was begun for the 1 st and 2 nd year students in peripheral hospitals.

The 3 rd year students needed teaching hospital access – but this was denied irrespective of several consultants agreeing to accommodate them at Peradneiya Teaching Hospital.

Several discussions held with the Hon Minister of Health, the Hon Minister of Higher education, the Secretary Higher Education and the Secretary Health did not achieve any resolution. Therefore, as the last resort, the University of Peradeniya was compelled to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

This led to further protests by the GMOA demanding that no allied health student be allowed to the Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya or training. They also stopped all opportunity there was for training at Gampola and Nawalapitiya. Thus, the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences had no alternative, but to close all its functions.

These poor students are now at square one once again with no state hospital access whatsoever for their hospital based training. Enhancing educational level of allied health professionals is a national priority not only to cater for the demand but also to improve the health care services and enhance their chances of recruitment the world over.

Freedom for education is a fundamental right and is more important than free education. Education should not be subject to curtailment to serve a few. Instead the benefits accrued for the common man through education should be the final determining factor. In Sri Lanka, we can still be consoled that many doctors are supportive of the provision of high quality university education for the allied health students.