By Dr. Nihal D Amerasekera
There are many from my era in medical school who feel deeply
grateful for the fine education they have received. Gratitude is one of the
finest of human qualities. It is a divine gift respected in the Eastern
cultures. Appreciation of ones’ teachers
is a tradition as old as teaching itself. I must reiterate we were students in
the golden age of medical education in Colombo with a plethora of some of the
finest lecturers and clinicians we have ever seen in our island. While I can’t pretend to have
matched the dizzying heights of their success, those long five years of
interactions with our teachers made a significant lifelong impact on many of us.
They were inspirational. It is my greatest pleasure and privilege to remember a
few of them on this Blog.
Dr Don Jinadasa
Attygalle
He was born in 1916 in the southern city of Galle. After his
education at Royal College Colombo he entered the Colombo Medical College. He qualified
LMS in 1941. DJA married Dr. Daphne Kanakaratne in 1951. She later became the
Professor of Pathology. He worked in the Health Service in various parts of the
country and sailed to England in 1951 where he remained until 1954. There he
obtained the MRCP and returned to Ceylon to complete the MD examination.
He was tall, well groomed, impeccably dressed and ever
courteous. From what I recall he was a dignified man of few words. Whenever he
spoke to the patients, doctors or students he was calm and spoke respectfully. DJA
was of a quiet and reserved disposition, never flustered, never upset. He had
the ability to show and teach genuine compassion.
He took great care to teach us well. He corrected our
mistakes but never lost his cool. DJA was a fine teacher of the best traditions
of our era and taught us the basics well. He was a quiet retiring person who
never looked for publicity. A few could claim to know him well.
DJA had a fine private practice where he saw patients at
home and also at the many private hospitals. He never came across as a money
grabbing doctor. He retired in 1972 but continued to see patients privately.
Mrs Attygalle passed away in 1989 and Dr DJ Attygalle in
1997. They had no children.
He was a devout Buddhist all his life and donated his house
at 50, Castle Street to the YMBA.
I feel immensely proud to have been taught by such a great
man whom I admire enormously. Despite all his achievements, those of us who
were privileged to train under his guidance remember him mostly for his
humanity.
Dr Ernest Victor Pieris
He was born in Badulla in 1926. His father was a doctor.
After his education at Royal College Colombo he entered the Ceylon Medical
College. There he qualified as a doctor with 1st Class Honours and
distinctions in Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He proceeded to the UK
and obtained his MRCP degree. On his
return he obtained his MD. EVP was
appointed Consultant Physician to the GHC in 1960.
EVP was a dedicated and meticulous physician. He was a kind,
skillful and compassionate doctor and took great care of his patients. EVP was
a popular physician in the private sector but he never neglected his
duties to his poorer patients at the GHC
and his numerous teaching commitments.
Although soft spoken he was no pushover. He had a tremendous sense of humour. He was
well known for his acerbic and often amusing comments while on his teaching
rounds and ward classes.
I did a 2 month appointment with him when I learnt much of
my medicine. He had the skills to teach and also to make the students learn. EVP
never suffered fools gladly. At his ward classes and appointments he saw to it
that medical students learnt the bedside manners and the clinical methods. When
he felt someone didn’t work hard enough he made sure they moved to the front
and took an active part. I learnt much from him and feel immensely grateful. He
gave some brilliant tutorials when we were in the final year. EVP maintained a
healthy distance between himself and the students and made certain everyone
knew his/her place all through his years of teaching. He was hard to please but
appreciated good work.
He retired in 1972 and continued to see patients privately.
EVP was a good sportsman and he played Cricket and Rugby for
Royal College. He captained the University Rugby Team.
He was married to a chest physician and had four daughters.
EVP was a staunch Christian. Dr EV Pieris passed away in December 1991.
Dr. M. Oliver Robert
Medonza
He was born in 1913 and had his education at St Benedict’s
College Kotahena. He entered the Ceylon Medical College in 1934. Dr Medonza completed his medical degree with
First Class honours and distinctions in Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and
Gynaecology. In 1952 he obtained his MRCP and also the MD. Soon after he was
appointed Consultant Physician to the GHC. In 1972 he was appointed President
of the Sri Lanka Medical Association. Dr Medonza retired in 1973.
He had a strong personality. I did a 2 month appointment
with him as a medical student. My abiding memory of him is his wonderful
bedside manner and his innate ability to speak to the patients in colloquial
Sinhala and get to the bottom of the problem. MOR was a fine teacher and
instilled in us the fine art of history taking and examination. He taught us to
observe the patient and to elicit physical signs and interpret them accurately.
He made it all look simple just like commonsense. He was always available to
teach and to encourage, and never seemed harried or abrupt. It wasn’t often he
was irritated by the students’ sheer ignorance but then it was all over very
soon and he was back to his normal placid self. At the end of the 2 months he
gave us a fine dinner at his house with plenty of good food and drinks. On that eventful evening
he was one of us and enjoyed like the rest of us.
MOR was a popular doctor and was a household name being in
great demand in the private sector. He never neglected his duties to his
patients at the GHC and his commitment to teaching.
In his student days he was a fine cricketer and a tennis
player. Later on in life he played billiards and contract bridge in the company
of a wide circle of friends which he clearly enjoyed.
He became a devout Buddhist and learnt Pali to translate the
Dhammapada.
Dr Medonza passed away in June 1991.
When I think of the surgeons that taught me the name that
comes across in flashing neon lights, above everyone else, is Dr. PR Anthonis.
He was not only a fine surgeon, excellent tutor, a fine raconteur, he was a
phenomenon. PRA was a mentor to many. His ward classes were pure theatre and he
knew the art of getting a message across to the students. Although calm and placid he never tolerated
nonsense. He was firm when it was
necessary. PRA was always courteous to his patients, his students and the
nursing staff. His natural curiosity led
him to make fine observations. He tried his best to pass on this superb skill
to his students.
The myriad of anecdotes which he related in his own
inimitable style, still ring in my ears. He often had good, sound and practical
advice about everything with a short personal story to go with it. Although he
enjoyed a lucrative private practice even the poor patients worshipped him for
his kind and generous ways. He elicited tremendous admiration and affection in
the people he met.
He was born in 1911. After a brilliant school career at St
Peter’s College Bambalapitiya he entered the Medical College in 1930. There he
won the Gold Medal in Surgery amongst many other awards and scholarships. He
passed the FRCS examination in 1945. On his return to Ceylon in 1947 was
appointed Consultant Surgeon to the GHC where he rose far and fast.
After an illustrious career in the Health Service Dr
Anthonis retired in 1971. He worked in the private sector well into his 80’s.
He was a devout Buddhist and passed away at the age of 99.
His kindness, generosity and good humour are fond memories for us all. Many
will remember him for being such an eloquent speaker and fluent writer. He was
such a presence during our years his voice must swirl in the ether in the wards
and corridors of the General Hospital Colombo.
