2ND LEAD (Correction)

New medical faculty established for Eastern University

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 June 2006, 00:08 GMT]
The first batch of medical students for the newly opened medical faculty, the seventh in the island, at the Eastern University was welcomed in a ceremony held at 9:00 a.m. on Monday 19th June at Kallady in Batticaloa, administrative officials of the university said. The Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University Dr. S. Ravindranath welcoming the new students said, “This new Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, will benefit a million people living in the eastern province extending from Mullaitivu to Pottuvil."

The new Faculty is located at 50 New Road at Kallady in Batticaloa.

The ceremony was held in the main hall of the Eastern University and was presided by the acting head of the Faculty of Health-Care Sciences Dr E Karunakaran. The chief guest was Prof. T. Varagunam Chancellor, Eastern University. The function was well attended by academics and many distinguished members of the medical profession.

The Vice Chancellor added that the opening of the Medical Faculty twenty-five years after the establishment of the Eastern University was the culmination of many years of sustained effort. Unlike in other universities where students have to leave their areas the establishment of this new medical faculty will enable more local students to remain close to home and upon qualification serve their own areas.

Dr. Ravindranath said that the situation could be similar to the Tromso University in the northern province of Norway where over 80% of the students remain to serve the local population.

Even though the main beneficiaries in the short tern would appear to be the students, the ultimate beneficiaries would be the general public, Mr Ravindranath said.



He explained that the teaching methods at the new medical faculty are going to be varied and unique unlike in other universities and hence the faculty has been appropriately named Faculty of Health-Care Sciences. Students will be taught the "Problem-based learning" method which has proved successful in Norway’s Tromso University and India’s Manipal University.