Controversy over ERPM exam annulment: SLMC President accused of nepotism

Colombo, May 06 -  The annulment of the Surgery Long and Short Cases components of the ERPM Part B Examination conducted at the Examinations Centre of the Eastern University (Batticaloa) has sparked outrage and accusations of nepotism. 

Candidates who underwent the examination in April 2024 have come forward with allegations against the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) for his role in the decision-making process.

According to a letter addressed to the Registrar of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) dated May 1, 2024, candidates expressed their grievances over the abrupt cancellation of the examination and the subsequent announcement of a fresh examination in May. 

The candidates, numbering approximately 40, argue that the decision is arbitrary and discriminatory, as it deprives them of their hard-earned marks and impacts their future career prospects.

The letter alleges that the President, in response to a complaint from a candidate regarding the lack of a translator during the examination, intervened without following due process. 

It is claimed that the candidate in question was the daughter of a consultant who had close ties with the President. Instead of addressing the issue fairly, the President purportedly instructed to add marks to all candidates, including the consultant's daughter, to ensure her passing.

When the coordinator of the examination and the council refused to comply with the President's directive, he allegedly used his position to cancel the examination for all candidates and ordered a re-examination for everyone, despite some members suggesting a re-examination for the affected candidates only.

Moreover, the letter accuses the President of appointing his friends to the committee tasked with investigating the matter, thereby influencing the outcome of the inquiry.

The candidates thus urge the SLMC to reconsider the annulment and release their results, emphasizing the severe and irreparable loss they would suffer as a result of the decision.