Harsha Samarajiwa - The True Professional

By Nihal D. Amerasekera 

Harsha Samarajiwa joined the Faculty of Medicine after an illustrious career at Royal College as a fine cricketer and an academic. 

I met Harsha in 1962 amidst the rough and tumble of life in the ‘Block’.  We were pulverized, decimated and reduced to nought by the indignities of the rags, weekly signatures and quarterly revisals. All through those years Harsha maintained a certain calmness and held on to his dignity. He was known for his cheerful and friendly manner.  

During those arduous medical student days he continued to play cricket for the University.  In 1962-63  The University Team that won the coveted Sara Trophy has a legendary status amongst cricket lovers.  To play a sport that consumes enormous  swathes of time and then manage to complete the course as planned is a goal not many could achieve. Fast bowlers by nature are said to be aggressive like “Lilley and Thompson”. Although a fine and effective ‘quickie’ I have never seen any of that belligerence  in Harsha in all the years I have known him. 

When my mother fell ill in 2008 one of my relatives took her to Harsha. When he came to know this was my mother she was treated as a special patient, fees were waived and everything possible was done to make her comfortable and free of pain. All this was done before I arrived on the scene from the UK and  also before I had any contact with Harsha.  Now that I would regard as true friendship. He spoke to me in detail about her illness and kept me informed as nothing further could be done. I valued his skill, care and compassion and respected his opinion.

The kindness and the deep concern that he showed me during those difficult months is a tribute to his professional expertise and etiquette. I have the greatest respect and regard for Harsha for being helpful when my mind was at its lowest ebb.  As I recall, when I thanked him he just smiled, patted me on the back and went on his way. 

I am told many cricketers and other sportsmen from my era sought his guidance. They are full of praise of his skill, fine bedside manner and also his exceptional kindness and generosity. His patients appreciate enormously his humour, expertise and modesty. 

During his long and successful career in the Health Service he was a great role model and a mentor and guide to many doctors. Many of his junior staff became imbued with his infectious enthusiasm and went on to become consultants.  

We are in the habit of pouring tributes and appreciations , posthumously, when people have left this world. There are times when it is wise to disregard protocol and commemorate the lives of those who are living and still provide an immense  service to society. Harsha is one of those self effacing, unsung heroes of the Medical Profession. 

Harsha, I thank you once more for being so good to my mother when she was at the end of her life. It has been my great good fortune to walk with Harsha on this journey of life. I wish you many more years of good health and happiness.