Former Deputy Minister and United National Party (UNP) MP Ravi Karunanayake has called for greater access to private medical education in Sri Lanka, particularly for students who meet the qualifications but are unable to gain admission to state-run medical faculties.
Speaking to the media, MP Karunanayake emphasized that previous governments — including those led by the UNP — had opened the door for private sector involvement in higher education to support such students.
He pointed out that the Kotelawala Defense University (KDU) had also offered an avenue for aspiring medical students, and described the decision to block these opportunities as a serious injustice.
“If we deny them these chances, they will simply go abroad — to Belarus, Nepal, China, or India — and spend valuable foreign exchange on their education,” he warned.
Karunanayake further noted that encouraging private universities could also promote education tourism, by attracting foreign students to Sri Lanka, thereby boosting the economy while strengthening the country’s higher education sector.
