Sri Lanka Medical Council

The Colombo Medical School, the oldest medical school in Sri Lanka, was established on 1st June 1870 with an initial intake of twenty-five students. Graduates were awarded the Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (L.M.S.) diploma.

In 1880, the institution was renamed the Ceylon Medical College, and the L.M.S. qualification was recognised by the General Medical Council, allowing graduates to be registered without additional examinations.

Formal regulation of the medical profession began with the Medical Registration Ordinance of 1905. Under this law, holders of the L.M.S. (Ceylon) qualification were recognised as medical practitioners and were registered to practise medicine and surgery by the Ceylon Medical College Council (CMCC).
The ordinance also allowed practitioners registered in countries that recognised the L.M.S. qualification to be registered locally.

The same legislation introduced provisions for removal of a practitioner’s name from the register, and subsequent amendments strengthened the disciplinary framework. The Medical (Amendment) Ordinance No. 26 of 1927 introduced provisions for erasure from the register on disciplinary grounds.

The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 1987 later introduced the requirement for renewal of registration every five years.

The procedures currently followed for disciplinary inquiries were later formalised in the Government Gazette No. 757/7 of 10 March 1993.

Following the establishment of the University of Ceylon under the University Ordinance of 1942, the MBBS and BDS degrees awarded by the university were recognised for registration by the Ceylon Medical College Council.

The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 23 of 1955 introduced provisional registration, enabling newly qualified medical graduates to gain supervised clinical experience through a period of internship before obtaining full registration. This legislation also introduced good character as a requirement for registration.

The Medical Registration (Amendment) Ordinance No. 36 of 1908 provided for the registration of apothecaries and estate dispensers to practise medicine in the government sector with approval from the Principal Civil Medical Officer, the equivalent of the present Director General of Health Services.

The Dentists Registration Ordinance of 1915 established a system for registering dentists to practise dentistry.

The Medical Ordinance No. 26 of 1927 introduced provisions for the registration of pharmacists, restricting the dispensing of drugs and poisons to registered pharmacists and pharmaceutical chemists.

Midwives were originally registered under the Midwives Ordinance No. 2 of 1920, and provisions for their registration were later included in the Medical Ordinance of 1924. Registration as a midwife was restricted to women under the legislation in force at that time.

The Medical Ordinance No. 10 of 1949 provided for the registration of nurses by the Ceylon Medical Council. This responsibility was later transferred to the Sri Lanka Nurses Council, established under Act No. 19 of 1988 and later amended by Act No. 35 of 2005.

The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 1987 introduced provisions for the registration of para-medical assistants. This category included professionals such as radiographers, medical laboratory technologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, electrocardiograph recordists, audiologists, clinical physiologists, speech therapists, chiropodists, dietitians, ophthalmic auxiliaries and clinical psychologists.

Later reforms recognised the increasing professional status of several of these disciplines. The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 40 of 1998 established a separate category known as Professions Supplementary to Medicine, which included radiographers, medical laboratory technologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists.

Medical (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 1987 makes provision for persons who are employed as medical officers in government service to be granted registration during the period of such employment.

Further provisions were introduced under the Medical (Amendment) Act No. 37 of 1961 to allow temporary registration of medical practitioners, dentists, and nurses invited by the Government to serve in Sri Lanka.

This was later amended by the Medical (Amendment) Act No. 31 of 1997, which provided that such registration may be recommended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Health, the Director General of Health Services, or the Dean of a Medical Faculty. Temporary registration is normally granted for a limited period of up to twelve months, subject to the Council’s assessment of the applicant’s qualifications and competence.

The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 1965 introduced provisions for the registration of Sri Lankan citizens who obtained medical qualifications from recognised foreign medical schools. Registration was granted after passing a special examination conducted by the Council and completing a period of internship. This examination was previously known as the Act 16 Examination and is now conducted as:
the Examination for Registration to Practise Medicine (ERPM), and
the Examination for Registration to Practise Dental Surgery (ERPDS).

Medical (Amendment) Act No. 30 of 1987 makes provision for persons who are employed as medical officers in government service to be granted registration during the period of such employment.[

The Medical (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 1996 also introduced provisions allowing certain Sri Lankan citizens with foreign medical qualifications to be registered if they had been employed in the Department of Health Services prior to 17 May 1991.

More recently, the Medical (Amendment) Act No. 28 of 2018 introduced provisions for the registration of medical and dental specialists, recognising advanced professional training and expertise within the healthcare system.