While awaiting the photos that were promised by Sanath...... They can be inserted if and when they come in. Can't hold out any longer (while comments are still pouring in for Speedy's Research Report on Danno Budunge) in view of the long line of contributions in the pipeline.
Lucky
A message from Prof. Sanath Lamabadusuriya:
Lucky
A message from Prof. Sanath Lamabadusuriya:
As some of you may be aware, in June 2017, I was invited to be the Consultant to establish a Medical Faculty at the Sabaragamuwa University in Ratnapura. Since then, I have been working very hard towards fulfilling my task on the target date.
We were fortunate that we were given a new building constructed by the Auditor General's Department to train their staff. Because it was underutilized, the Cabinet decided to hand over the building to us. Dr. Neville Fernando (of SAITM fame). donated pathology, anatomy, forensic specimens, cadavers, computers, microscopes, laboratory equipment etc, to our new Faculty.
On the 17th of January 2019, the Faculty was opened by the Prime Minster, Ranil Wickramasinghe. Ministers Rajitha Senaratne, Rauf Hakeem and Thalatha Atukorale were among the many politicians gracing the occasion. Yesterday (21st of January) 65 students were enrolled during the ceremonial opening. I was invited to deliver the keynote address by the Vice-Chancellor. The topic I chose was "The Creation of Karapitiya, the Sweat and Toil", so as to inspire the new entrants. The audience consisted of students, their parents and many academics. After the event, six parents hailing from Akkaraipattu, Matara, Gampaha, Wattala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, spoke to me and told me that I have treated their children many years ago. They insisted on taking photographs with me.
I have included the power point presentation I delivered during my address.
BA adds: Please note that this is a revised version. The older version had been published on the blog earlier.
Well done,Lama.New era has dawned to the Children of privileged & underprivileged families in Sabaragamuwa and the adjoining provinces to become doctors.Hope!Medical school will produce world class doctors,who may be able to get jobs,not only locally,but ,in the Middle East as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news and congratulations to Sanath for his continuing contribution to Medical Education in Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeleteSanath
ReplyDeleteWe appreciate your contribution to medical education in SL in general and Sabaragamuwa in particular. This will allow and encourage local students to proceed to study medicine and related subjects. I hope the government will continue to support this venture to help take it to the high standards achieved by the medical schools in the big cities. Thank you.
Sanath, congratulations to you and the team that has brought this worthwhile project to fruition.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Lucky for posting this news item. Thank you Sumathi, Nihal,Mahendra and Rohini for the encouragement. Last week I delivered two more lectures during the orientation course, of which one was titled "Free Education and Freedom for Education in Sri Lanka". I wished to stress the need for private medical education in our country. I will send the power point presentation for Lucky to post it on our blog spot.I requested the students to give a written response, if they either agree or disagree, giving reasons. Few months ago I gave the same lecture at Rajarata and requested for a written response. Later the student leader came and met me with the Dean, Sisira Siribaddana who told me that I had given a lecture outside the syllabus, which exposed his very narrow vision!
ReplyDeleteSanath
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DeleteDear,Lama,I must point out that it is rather difficult to convince a lot of Sri-Lankans about the future vision for higher education.
ReplyDeleteThey are so narrow minded and brainwashed by opportunistic politician,the damage already done,and is beyond repair.
As an Academic,you must have seen how the Higher Education operates in rest of the world,including the Communist world.You must tell the students to grow up!.I am sure lack of knowledge in English is partly to accept the blame.
Soon,you will get feed backs,from our colleagues.
That is the result of not being taught to think out for themselves. I am glad you are tying to engage the students in figuring out on their own instead of falling into the habit of letting others feed them the information, correct or not.
ReplyDeleteOne of the deficiencies I noticed during our time is the lack of discussion rooms in the teaching hospitals. Lecture rooms need not all be large. There is a need for smaller spaces, to teach.This is something I noticed in the US.
i may be wrong and Sanath can correct me if I am wrong but the culture of Teachers not being comfortable with curious students and especially critical one, seem to be embedded. The "respect" given in a hierarchical fashion appears to be the norm. A few years ago, I accompanied a relative of mine who had a followup appointment after investigations and I was amazed by how little information was given and how readily my relative just listened and came out without asking any questions. When we were out, I asked her about it and she said "Doctors don't like being asked questions!".
ReplyDeleteMahendra,that culture is gradually changing. In this era of IT, many parents who are educated access the internet before consulting us. I always encourage questions from the parents. With the curriculum changing in most medical faculties here, problem based learning, small group discussions seminars etc. are part of the curriculum at the expense of didactic lectures. When Colombo changed it's curriculum more than 15 years ago, I functioned as the Chairman of the Clinical Stream until my retirement in 2008.
ReplyDeleteSanath
That is refreshing to hear Sanath.
DeleteWhat,I hear about the attitudes of Consultants towards their patients who had gone through channeling is beyond comprehension
ReplyDelete.Never mind the patients who had to wait hours and hours to see a doctor in the Government hospitals.Most of the hospital consultants spend their time in private sector and at the end of the they exhausted.Most of them get irritated when questioned about the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis.Patients are treated as donkeys.
As far as teaching in the Medical Schools are concerned,it may take several years to reach,US&European standards
As I recall in the 1970's there were 3 types of Private Practice
Delete1. Channelling: done by a few honest doctors
2. Tunneling: secretly done at home and other places
3. Funneling: All the money into their pockets nothing for the taxman.
One of the most intriguing examples of human ingenuity!!
Thank,you,Nihal for giving an insight into the types of Private Practice.During our student days,there was Private Practice,done by the Consultants.I was aware Dr.Anthonis,Attygalle and Thanabalasundaram had a lucrative Private Practice.They charged nominal amounts and the clients were well satisfied.I am sure some of our batch-mates might have assisted Antho,during his surgeries at Private hospitals.I have heard interesting stories about Antho's behaviour,with the students,during the bygone era.
DeleteThis is Zita. As I have always said, Sanath, we are very proud of you! You have created history in being a Professor in that august institute and medical school in Mahamodera and later in other prestigious places and you have done your best for everyone who came your way. May all Blessings be on you and your family. From Zita
ReplyDeleteDear Friends,
ReplyDeleteI am compelled to write this after reading Sumathi's comment. Please do not attempt to tar all of us with the same brush because of a few black sheep in our profession.I see similar letters in the newspapers written by expatriate Sri Lankans who come here briefly visit their aged parents who have fallen ill . They vent their frustrations by writing to the papers when they leave. Any patient could consult me at any time without joining a waiting list. In the UK unless it is an emergency it is not possible to do so.Is it possible to consult a doctor ,leave alone a professor. at short notice in the UK?It is not possible even in the private sector.
If our health services are so so bad why do expatriate Sri Lankans continue to come here for procedures such as renal transplants, coronary by pass surgery etc.
On another note how many of you all have contributed to the welfare of the Colombo Medical Faculty. I have supported innumerable students who were not well off with a monthly stipend. Last year the faculty launched a fund to raise about thirty five million rupees to make the premises more "green" by landscaping the quadrangle etc. I willingly donated one million rupees as our elder son , daughter and myself have graduated from this faculty at NO cost. It was done so as to satisfy my conscience, although I have served the country to the best of my ability.I have contributed to the "Little Heart" project at LRH. My daughter Dilusha who is based in Norwich organised a Sri Lankan food festival and contributed few thousand pounds to this fund.
I am sorry if I have sounded rather harsh but I was compelled to do so after reading some of your comments.
Sanath
Sorry,Lama for hurting you by my harsh letter about the current state of affairs in Sri Lankan,Medical community.There may be a handful of honest and dedicated doctors like you,at the moment.My own brother,living in Homagama,had to pay through his nose to have various procedures done at his local hospital.I hear from wife's side that they were treated very badly at their local hospitals in South.Government had given into the bullying by the GMOA,with strike threats etc.I remember the incidences,during the era,where private practice was banned,when some Consultants were caught for taking RS10.00.There was a DMO who swallowed a RS10.00 note when he was caught by bribery commision officers.I,personally met him,when he reported sick and was admitted to Tangalle hospital.
ReplyDeleteBribery commissioner,at that time was a tough nut called Ian Wickramanayake.He was a Senior State Counsel.I heard that Consultants refused to treat his son,as an act of revenge.I got this information from a very reliable source)
This is all about reaching a balance in forming judgments. It is not unique to us Sri Lankans. Reason states that it is only fair to generalise when there is clear evidence that a practice under scrutiny occurs a majority of the time (this of course begs the question "what is a majority and how did we arrive at this conclusion"). There is no doubt in my mind that some doctors in Sri Lanka indulge in highly unethical behaviors but it is also a fact that there are many like our own Sanath, who is straight, honest and has done so much for our Motherland. I don't think for a moment that Sumathi intended to hurt Sanath's feelings. On the contrary, it is clear from his comments on this Blog that he is full of admiration for Sanath.
ReplyDeleteBut I like to ask Sanath this question: Is unethical practice just a blip in the ocean of medical practice or is it a real problem and if so, what safeguards are there for protecting patients?
On the subject of serving our Motherland, I feel strongly that we should so in whatever way we can, big or small. It is not a matter of Patriotism but a simple truth of showing gratitude for what we received. The ways in which we do it are many and I know a lot of people who do a lot of good things but never seek publicity. Again the "do not tar with the same brush" operates on expatriates and comments such as "they are doing it because they have a guilty conscience" does not help. Besides, if they have a guilty conscience it does show that they do care!
Thanks,Speedy for your comments.I highly,appreciate the hard work and dedication to the Service of Medical Education,rendered by Lama.Lama could have been in UK,working for the NHS,but his patriotism took him back to Motherland.Reason for the mass exodus of Medical Graduates,from Sri-Lanka had been self-explanatory.Articles by Nihal and Speedy have already highlighted them and there was no doubt about them.Speedy will remember about some items that are with me for donation to Sri-Lanka,The person in question,who is supposed to contact me about taking them,never contacted me.Long time ago,I donated true cut biopsy needles to Professorial unit,when Dr de Mel(currently a Neurologist)was a Medical Registrar.I will certainly donate a considerable some of my,if I win the EuroMillion.I never accepted a cent,during my 10 yrs service to motherland.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that there are a lot of black sheep among the herd of doctors.Excuse moi,professeur Lama.
My pleasure Sumathi. This is a sensitive area and open to all kinds of feelings and interpretations. I am sure you follow the same motto as I do, which is "I am true to my own conscience and that is the most important thing".
DeleteMahendra, unethical practice certainly is not a blip, as it is widely prevalent among all grades of doctors.(Medical officers who are members of the GMOA, run dispensaries during working hours). The watch dog is the SLMC which is dominated by the members of the GMOA. Therefore it cannot function efficiently. Complaints against doctors are piling up without being heard. That is the current situation which is very sad.Until the SLMC is reconstituted the status quo would remain. Rajitha S. has promised to reconstitute it but has not done so as yet.
ReplyDeleteThe Sabaragamuwa Medical Faculty is in urgent need of books. Any donations would be very welcome.
Sanath
I would be very happy to make a financial donation to buy books Sanath. Just let me know how best to do it. Thanks for your honest observations. The GMOA is not what it used to be. I don't know whether you recall that in 1971 (I think) I was the Vice President when Anton was President.
DeleteI am not a regular visitor to SL and am not aware of the state of the health service and the ethics of medical practice. I hear from the grapevine of the practice done by my personal friends who are mostly from my batch like Revo, Harsha, and Sanath. Their dedication and integrity are beyond reproach.
ReplyDeleteThe medical profession too, worldwide, are a cross-section of society comprising of the good bad and the ugly. Hence the need for education from schooldays of sound moral values of honesty, high principles and ethics. There is a need for an active GMC/SLMC to maintain good ethical standards.
Mahen, Sanath and Sumathi have spoken openly of some the issues. I do not wish to stoke the flames. It is good to discuss them on this blog as friends of over 50 years. Once again this will bring to our attention the ideal in our journey to reach perfection. For many of us our professional lives have come to an end and we can look back on what we have achieved.
I feel ever so grateful to Sanath for what he has done for medical education in SL and continues to do under difficult conditions and tremendous financial constraints. I know how politics can get in the way of projects. You have overcome adversity to achieve those goals. Well-done my friend.
SLMC should constitute more from the non-medical profession,so that doctors cannot behave like the mother of the robber(famous sinhalese saying "Horage Ammagen Pena Ahanawa wage".I am sure politicians lack guts to take on the mighty GMOA.In a way,it's an advantage to have a Minister with a Medical background.The disadvantage is that he or she could waver in decision taking against their brotherhood.I,also remember,during my very young days,how the local Government Dispensary incharge-Apothecary collected one rupee coins to dispense so called "Good Medicines".It is worthwhile
ReplyDeletein investing on latest editions.Paperback editions are scarcity in the developed world.They are meant for the poorer part of the world.In a nutshell,donating cash is the solution rather than trying to post old textbooks.
Dear Friends, when I was in England in June 2017, I was following the turmoil in Sri Lanka regarding SAITM. The day after I returned to Colombo, Rajitha Senaratne gave me a call and invited me to be the President of the SLMC which I readily accepted. When I met him later on that night, I told him that as the primary function of the SLMC is to safeguard the health of the community, the composition of the SLMC should be changed and some members from the community should be included.. I told him that it should have an educationist, a lawyer,a civil rights activist, a religious leader, an accountant etc,. which he agreed to .Unfortunately the re-constitution of the SLMC has not taken place as yet.As our three children were totally opposed to the offer, I reluctantly declined it.
ReplyDeleteSanath
Lama,you did the correct thing by declining the offer to be the President of the SLMC.If you were to be the president,you would have been subjected to immense humiliation and barrage of criticism from the corrupted gang of doctors,who are an insult to the Noble Profession.Nice to see you that you command the respect of the Politicians,Academics and the general Public.Hope!you will continue to serve the country,until you take your last breath.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Sumathi for your extremely kind sentiments
ReplyDeleteSanath
Lama,I am sure there are a lot of our batch-mates who continue to appreciate what you have been doing over the last 50yrs or so.As,you are aware, there is a large number of silent observers of the blogs.I have no doubt about your honesty,integrity and devotion to the millions of people in our Motherland.Your children will be very proud of you.
DeleteLucky, Thank you for directing us back to this important discussion.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I was taken aback at Sanath’s tirade against expatriates !
ND and Mahen have already addressed some of the issues.
Sanath, If expatriates travel to SL for procedures, they must do so obviously because they expect medical services of a very high standard there.
If however their experiences fall short of their expectations, expression of their disappointment should be welcomed. After all, feed back is an important tool in rectifying any shortcomings in a service - a tool we use routinely in our practices with patient satisfaction questionnaires etc.
It appears Sumathi had good reason to express his disappointment.
Secondly, giving/donating is a private and personal matter, expected to be done quietly, with humility, and not for recognition.
Iam certain most, if not all expatriates and their families do support their motherland in diverse ways, though they may not be in your favorite projects, and it is their prerogative to keep this information private with no blowing of trumpets or beating of drums.
From the receiving organizations in SL however, transparency and acknowledgement is sadly lacking as I am aware.
Finally, I do applaud those who have dedicated their lives to ethical medical practice and to improvement of medical education and patient care in SL as you have.
Amendments to above-
Delete1. Para 3 from the end should read- ‘expatriates and their families do support OUR motherland’ not necessarily their motherland ! And
2. The last para should read - ‘ I do applaud those who have dedicated their lives to ethical medical practice and to improvement of medical education and patient care in SL as you have , as well as those of our countrymen who have done similarly in foreign lands of their choice.
Thanks very much,Rohini,for your excellent analysis of the donations done by expatriates,without blowing their own trumpets.
ReplyDeleteSome of us in Birmingham worked very hard to send donations of different kinds,during the post tsunami era.On a subsequent occasion,Sri Lankan High Commision organised a collection of Surgical items to be sent back home.I collected several items including a good quality operation table.They were collected free of delivery charges by the High Commision.There are some more very handy items including,an electro-cautery,ophthalmoscope,three stethoscopes,cryo-cautery machine.
If there is no reliable source to collect and take to Sri-Lanka;any other means of transport may end up in no man's land.
I am getting into this discussion a bit late in the game. Let's get something straight, there are good doctors and bad doctors everywhere!! We must not generalize. Sanath, we appreciate the good work you have done and the contributions you have made to Sri Lanka. Rohini, I also agree with much of what you have said. When we left Sri Lanka many years ago, all of us had our own personal/professional reasons. Personally, I did not intend to stay in the USA forever, but various circumstances made it difficult for me to return. Also, I know that many of my ex-pat doctor friends in the US work hard to contribute in their own way to projects in SL , both on a personal level and through their respective organizations (SLMANA) on the west coast and east coast of the US. Many of our own batch mates have contributed to these efforts. Sumathi has written about some the efforts been made in the UK. So even though we live faraway, we do what we can, often without much fanfare!
ReplyDeleteSrianee, I wish to thank you once again for facilitating a very generous donation of USD 10,000.00 by the SLMNA to the Meththa Rehabilitation Foundation, founded by Dr. B Panagamuwa. For those who are unaware about the activities of the MRF, it was initiated in Mannar, to fit lower limb prostheses to the civilian victims of the war. When that reservoir was emptied, he set up workshops in Maho and Mannakkulam and is continuing the same work for the benefit of victims of road traffic accidents and diabetics.
ReplyDeleteSanath
Well,written Srianee.Many of the expatriates have contributed in several ways to the good causes,in SriLanka.Most of the loci of collections were Buddhist temples and I am aware that Dr.Panagamuwa had a place of collection in a Buddhist temple,nearby,in Birmingham.He is yet to contact me about the surgical items that are in my possession.Most of us dislike publicity about the contributions towards the welfare of the SriLankans.
ReplyDeleteje t'aime,madame.