Dr C S Ratnatunge - Remembered by Dr Nihal D Amerasekera
We are eminently fortunate to have been medical students
during the golden era of medical education in Sri Lanka.
Dr C S Ratnatunge was the Superintendent of the
Anti-Venereal Disease Campaign and Clinical Specialist in Charge of the VD
Clinic. The Clinic was in a back street close to the GHC and remained a
non-descript building without a name board. All those who entered and left the
building (except the doctors) did so like frightened deer at Yala. We all had
a 2 week appointment with CSR during which he taught all we needed to
know and more. It was one of the best organized and comprehensive clinical
teaching courses I have attended. What struck me most of his teaching was his ability to combine scientific
detachment with sympathetic understanding of the mental and physical trauma of
his patients. As a doctor he was meticulous and a superb clinician.
In 1964 whilst working in the VD Clinic CSR published the
History of Venereal Disease Control in
Ceylon with Eunice D.C Pereira. This seminal work on the subject published in
the British Journal of Venereal Disease brought him worldwide acclaim.
He proceeded to the UK in the early 1950’s where he obtained
his MRCP(Edin) and qualified further in venereal diseases in London. On his
return he took charge of the VD Clinic where he worked until 1966 when he
retired to proceed to the UK. CSR was appointed Consultant in Genito-Urinary
medicine at the Royal free Hospital in London where his expertise was greatly
appreciated. During his tenure he
published many scientific papers that were published in the BMJ, Lancet and in
the British Journal of Venereal Diseases. CSR also worked as a Consultant to
the WHO. He retired in 1982 and the Royal Free hospital held a Symposium on
Sexual Health in his honour.
As a Consultant at the Royal Free Hospital he was a visiting
physician to the Prince of Wales Hospital in North London where I worked in
1975. Once I introduced myself in a dark
corridor in the bowels of that hospital. Since then whenever we met he gave me friendly and
helpful advice about my career. Even after I became a consultant although he
was retired he continued to do several Locums in my hospital. We often met up
at lunch in the hospital canteen where we discussed all topics from medicine to
politics and mutual friends and acquaintances. He was a kind man generous in
his praise for others and a gentleman in every sense of the word.
We thank him for his contribution to medical education and
his tireless work in Sexual Health.
May he find Eternal Peace
The first comment is from the blog administrator!
ReplyDeleteMy first appointment as a Preliminary Grade MO in June 1967 was to the Central VD Clinic. Batch colleagues Desmond Gunatilake and Virginia Swan too received the same appointment. But by that time, Dr. Ratnatunga had retired and Dr. W.L. Fernando had replaced him. Dr. WLF by the way, was the father of Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka's former Test captain.
Dear Nihal, I too was not lucky enough to have had my training under him but thanks for highlighting his contribution to this important field and that he was so honoured for his contribution to STD in the UK. You have to be truly proud to have been related to him.
ReplyDeleteZita
Zita
DeleteHe was not my relative. CSR was Chester Ratnatunge's uncle.
Thanks for your comment
I have met him socially in England. A charming man of the old school type with impeccable manners and behaviour so typical of a generation of Sri Lankans who grew up "Westernised" as they call it but to me a better term would be thoroughly civilised. I am all for Internationalism!
ReplyDeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteYours is a wonderful description of CSR. His photo brings him back to life. CSR was friendly but reserved and kept his distance. I know he helped many Sri Lankan doctors to find their feet in England.
I remember being taught by CSR.He was an excellent teacher. Another person who taught us in that clinic was Lester Jayawardene's wife. I cannot remember her first name.
ReplyDeleteSanath
Prof. Leicester Jayawardene's wife was Dr. Indrani. At the time I worked in the VD Clinic, she was the Head of the Women's section. Virginia worked directly under her. The other lady was Virginia's aunt Dr. Mrs Dr Erin Christoffelsz. When I was looking high and low to find a guarantor for my car loan, it was she who came to my rescue.
ReplyDeleteWhile Dr. W.L. Fernando served as the Superintendent of the VD Campaign, on the clinical side, the Senior Medical Officer in Charge of the male section was soft-spoken Dr. Navaratnam. It was at that time that Dr. R. Mahendran returned to the country having obtained his post graduate qualifications in venereology and a gleaming brand new Morris Oxford car!
I saw Hutchinson's teeth and Moon's molars for the first time as a medical student in that clinic. Although I have seen some Hutchinson's teeth since then , I have yet to see the latter again.
ReplyDeleteSanath
CSR showed us all the venereal diseases prevalent in SL and most of their complications. I recall seeing patients with Chancroid caused by haemophilus ducreyi which I am reliably informed is now totally eradicated. GC to all stages of syphilis were demonstrated. Speaking with the Specialist in Sexual health in my hospital I was told CSR is considered one of the pioneers of modern Sexual Health programmes. I feel proud to have been taught by a great man and a gentleman.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNihal, Thank you for this appreciation. You guys have good memory recall! I do remember that my rotation at the "VD Clinic," as it was then called, was very instructive and that I did see chancroids and other very important clinical signs. But, I don't remember my instructors, shame on me!
ReplyDeleteI think we were very lucky to have had the clinical experience available in those days, and I am not sure if it is the same for present day Sri Lankan medical students. I know that medical students in the western world definitely do not have exposure to the same type of clinical experiences. When Tobias (my German "relative" whom some of you met) was doing an elective rotation at LRH, he was a third year medical student in Germany, but had never palpated an enlarged spleen. He was so excited when he was able to do that at LRH!
Srianee
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear from you and thank you for the comment. I am sure you can recall some of the things that others can't.
Srianee
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear from you and thank you for the comment. I am sure you can recall some of the things that others can't.