An interesting observation he made on this tour was that Panama City is like any other western capital with many skyscrapers but that Havana in Cuba does not have a single skyscraper. He goes on to say that Havana is full of American classic cars, Buicks, Cadillacs, Dodges, Chryslers, Chevrolets, Plymouths, Oldsmobiles, Fords etc which were manufactured in the 1950s.
Soon after his arrival in Sri Lanka, he lost no time in proceeding to Anuradhapura where he is teaching the Rajarata medical students. He had been pleasantly surprised when the students hosted a party to felicitate Sanath's 50th year in academic Paediatrics.
I have no doubt that all my colleagues will join me in congratulating Sanath on his achievement. He is without doubt, one of the most outstanding products from our batch. His dedication to Medicine in Sri Lanka and to medical education is admirable and worthy of all the praise he has gained. Well done Sanath! We are all proud of you. PS . I love the painting, complete with the Lion's mane!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mahendra for your comments and wishes. The artist is Sachini Raigama, a final year medical student from the 8th batch at Rajarata. She had studied at Deva Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo and had gained admission after receiving few extra marks under the special category in recognition of her receiving all island honours for her artistic talents. Her father is a pharmacist and mother a doctor (nee Kahaduwa), who had graduated from the Colombo Medical Faculty.I strongly encouraged her to continue withe her artistic talents after graduation.
ReplyDeleteSanath
Dear,Lama
ReplyDeleteWhile congratulating on receiving another award for your untiring work in the field of Medical education,may I ask you whether the student Sachini attended Deva Balika or Devi Balika.If,I am not mistaken,was Devi or Deva Balika Vidyalaya,known previously as Castle Street school for girls?
Thanks Sumathi for wishing me. Yes ,it is the Castle Street Girl's School of Law -Medical 1962 fame (or "infame"!)
ReplyDeleteSanath
Thanks for confirming my guess.You are absolutely right that some of colleagues misbehaved on that day.i can assure you that I never touched a teacher or a student.Our old friend,Ranjith Dhamba told me the names of the culprits,some are dead and gone.
ReplyDeleteI am proud that Rajarata students have got the best of the teachers.Some of them may be the sons and daughters of the people that I have treated during 1968-1970.We had patients coming from Mihintale,Kahagasdigiliya,Nochchiyagama and Horawupathana.Kahatagasdigiliya and Nochchiyaga were Peripheral units,Mihintale was a "Apo" runned hospital.Horuwpathana was a DMO station.We treated hundreds and hundreds of Malaria infected patients.Fortunately,Anuradhapura had no cases Falciparum malaria.Your very close relative,Kamini was the Paediatrician-very charming and kind to all her patients.Husband,Michael was the Paediatric Surgeon,who advised me not to waste my time working in the OPD."Think of sitting for Primary",was his advice.I was under a lot of malevolent planets (grahayo),who prevented me embarking on ECFMG,Part one of MRCP,MRCOG and Primary FRCS.I am happy in a way and told myself"let bygones be bygones".I wonder whether there is Protein,Calorie(Energy)and fat malnutrition,still rampant in Anuradhapura.
Sorry to point out a possible misunderstanding of the 4th,sentence.I mean the students may be the sons and daughters of people that I have treated and not the teachers.
ReplyDeleteSumathi, you are referring to Kamalika Abeyratne (nee Wickramasuriya).whose father, George Wickramasuriya was an uncle of my mother. He delivered me in ward 3 of DMH on the 30th of December 1942. He was the first Ceylonese Professor of Obstetrics but passed away before he assumed duties. He was first to document transmission of Malaria from mother to fetus. Later his family offered the "George Wickramasuriya Memorial Prize "for research in Paediatrics and Gyn. and Obs. I was the first winner of that prize in 1975 and I shared it with Prof. SS Ratnam, a Sri Lankan Professor of Gyn. and Obs. in the National University of Singapore. Tissa Wickramasuriya's (junior batch)father was a brother of George Wickramasuriya.
ReplyDeleteMalaria has been eradicated from Sri Lanka. There is no kwashiokor any more. Marasmus is still prevalent.
Sanath
Thank you,Lama,for enlightening me about the family history of Wickramasuriyas.Tissa became very friendly with me when he was DMO-Tangalle.My house in Tangalle was not far away from his house-Carlton,now owned by Mahinda.I was MOH-Hambantota and could not find a house to rent in that blessed town.Tissa told me about the job he got in West Indies and promised to find one for me as well.Unfortunately,he lost contact with me.I have heard about Dr.Ratnam and he trained one of the Sri-Lankan,junior to us,who ended as Prof Obs&Gyn in UK.I just forgotten his name.He was a junior to us and was in Bloem.Later he was honoured with Presidentship in the Royal College of Obstetricians&Gynaecologist.A knighthood later on.I am aware you too has a knighthood in your pocket.
ReplyDeleteBy the way thanks goes to our Punsiri for eradicating malaria.When we talk about kwashiorkor and marasmus,the good old lectures delivered by late Prof C c de Silva comes into my memories.I remember he used to stress "fat" in addition to Protein,Calorie deficiency,the root cause of two conditions.
You are referring to Sabaratnam Arulkumaran who is a friend of mine.I have to correct you;I have a MBE and not a knighthood.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Lama.Arulkumaran was said to be a mediocre student during Royal College days and certainly was a late developer.Information about Arulkumaran was mentioned earlier by Speedy!Who knows,for your untiring work,some good souls might recommend you for a Knighthood.One has to be at the correct place at the correct time.I,am surer,one has to agree to accept or reject the "Honours".Good luck.
ReplyDeleteDear Lama I would like to my Congratulations and Best wishes on your completing half a century in medical education. In a day and age where ingratitude and indifference is the norm it is very encouraging that your students made. this gesture of appreciation. You must have had a truly great impact on them.
ReplyDeleteI have never been an academic but have had the privilege of being a Clinical Teacher to undergraduates from 1982 and a Post Graduate Teacher Trainer and Examiner from 1984 up to my retirement. You are very fortunate that you can continue to teach. That's something I really miss now. It is so rewarding to find that your erstwhile students actually remember what you taught and even more so to find them putting it into practice.
Wish you many more years of teaching! Suri
Well said Suri. Teaching is the only thing I really miss since my retirement and of course the wonderful staff I worked with. I believe that it is the duty of every doctor to seize every opportunity to educate people.
DeleteYou are so right Speedy. I find myself teaching the O T staff and correcting wrong practices in the private sector hospitals as my work is now confined to them.Most of the time it is appreciated though you come across the know it alls who resent being taught Suri
DeleteI am very happy to see any news of our friend and batch mate Prof Sanath's achievements in continuing to travel, teach, spread knowledge and bring pride to our land and our batch. As a bonus we get to hear little snippets and observations like about sky scrapers! I am truly happy to read about your experiences, Sanath and as Suri commented, you are unique in being able to continue to teach, give talks, and continuing to contribute to medical eduction. We are truly proud of you! Zita
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Mahendra, Sumathi Suri and Zita for your very generous comments which are very well appreciated. I am eagerly waiting to teach Paeditrics to the Sabaragamuwa students based in Ratnapura, which would commence around mid next year.
ReplyDeleteBetween the two of you, Sanath and AHTS you have educated us on epidemiology, history and points of interest to our batch, like Punsiri eradicating malaria, and I didn't realise lack of fat can be a factor in the production of kwashiorkor and marasmus. Of course it stands to reason. But we are used to saying 'protein, calorie malnutrition. I found the discussion between the two of you very interesting. About Sanath, I have said this before and I like to say it again, that we are fortunate you were in our batch and you are the most prominent of our batch mates to have done all these fantastic things. Thanks again, Sanath and Sumathi for that discussion. Zita
ReplyDeleteZita,
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to bring back the memories of the good old medical stuff that we learned from our learned Professors and the lectures.You might not have heard the word energy which has substituted the word calorie.I,am sure Lama will correct me if I am wrong with the medical jargon.Marasmus is the severe form of energy deficiency compared with kwashiorkor.I am sure you have seen the pictures of children of Yemen,caught up in the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Protein-calorie malnutrition, protein-energy malnutrition and marasmus are synonyms.In the chronic form there is significant stunting (short stature) and wasting. If you are not aware of the child's age, you may think he or she is normal. In kwashiorkor the predominant problem is deficiency of protein and therefore there is oedema and ascites together with "flaky paint dermatoses" and de-pigmented hair. Marasmic kwashiorkor is a hybrid.The origin of the word is from Ghana and it means "deprived child",as the birth of subsequent children deprives the elder children of proper nutrition.
ReplyDeleteSanath
During late fifties,there was a campaign to control malnutrition,among school school children.i have seen with my eyes the milk that was given to school children ended up down the drains.I was living at Ketawalamulla and there was a school very close by that i passed daily.I,am sure the reason why milk ended in the drain was lack of sugar in the drink.We know that there is lactose in milk,but it is a custom to add lumps of sugar to make the drink sweet.The incident of dental caries was rampant in most of the children as a result of indulgence in sugary food items and lack of dental hygiene.I have not seen any obese children during that time.We were not aware of type 2 diabetes that much,which is an epidemic all over the world.
ReplyDeleteUntil the early 1990s, I had seen less than 5 children with diabetes mellitus. Since then there has been an exponential increase in the incidence of DM and Ward 1 conducts a weekly clinic for them. The incidence of obesity in children has also increased in tandem. The main reasons are lack of exercise (because of TV, computer games and games on hand phones)and the consumption of junk food from fast food outlets.
ReplyDeleteSanath
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Thanks,Lama for your comments about the onset of DM type 2 amount the young and middle aged generation of Sri-Lanka.It is extremely difficult to change habits,in spite of wealth of knowledge about the pathophysiology of DM2.Refined carbs are the worst enemy with regard to diet.Lack of exercises comes next.There are well known cases where diet&exercises have reversed the Type 2 DM ,by reversing the insulin resistance.During my early school days,I had to walk miles to my local school.I swam in my close by river for hours.I had a bicycle for 10 yrs and used that during my Faculty days in addition to athletics.My blood sugar level is well within normal limits.
ReplyDeleteSumathi , were you not a good long distance runner?
ReplyDeleteSanath
Is certainly true,Lama.i did middle distance(800&1500 yards,during my school days and 800,1500 and 5000 metres during the Faculty days.Also took part in the annual road race,for five years.
ReplyDeleteHow did you fare?
ReplyDeleteThank you,Lama.I have checked with my Certificates of Awards and learned that I have obtained the following Awards.
ReplyDelete1962-Annual Freshmen's Athletic Meet-Second in 5000 metres&third in 1500 metres
1965-Annual Colombo Inter Faculty Athletic Meet.third in 5000 metres.
1967-Annual Colombo Inter Faculty Athletic Meet.Second in 1500&5000
metres.
Colombo Colours for Athletics in 1965/66 & 19666/67
In addition I took part in the Annual Road race(just over 4 mile distance)each year and came first once.
There is a gap from 1963-1964.I wonder whether I was busy with studies and had a break from athletics.I missed University Colours(Combined Colombo&Peradeniya) with the skin of my teeth.There are a few of our batch mates who excelled in different events.
My greatest disappointment in life was a failure to excel in Medical Exams.
Congratulations Sumathi on your excellent achievements
ReplyDeleteThanks,Lama,Only a few of my batch-mates were aware of my achievements.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous discussion between you two, Sanath and Sumathi! And I am learning quite a lot of medicine terminology, facts and even more interesting, the fabulous achievements of Sumathi in long distance running. To me that is unique! I can count on the fingers of one hand, the people I know who achieved something in running. And to find all that talent and achievement in our batch, is fantastic! I wish more batch mates would record their non medical achievements on this Blog! Indeed, Batch '62 is unique! Thanks for a lovely discussion! Zita
ReplyDeleteHi,Zita,You are absolutely right about our batch,which is unique in a way.Take for example,the achievements of Prof Lama.He has created a history among the Medical Academics by being the longest serving member.There are a handful of unsung sporting heroes,who remained silent over the years.
ReplyDeleteI would certainly like them to appear in our blog.