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17:19 (2 hours ago)
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Dear Alumni,
It is with much sadness that we announce the demise of Deshabandu Dr. Ananda Soysa, Retired ENT Surgeon, and beloved husband of Emeritus Professor Priyani Soysa, at the age of Ninety Eight, on 12th October 2019.
The remains are kept at AF Raymond Parlour for viewing from today (13th) 1pm.
Cremation will be on 14th October, 5 pm at the General Cemetery, Borella.
May he attain the supreme bliss of nibbana!
Dr Sumithra Tissera
Co Secretary CoMSAA
Colombo Medical School Alumni Association
Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Colombo
Sri Lanka www.comsaa.org
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Ananda Soysa after a long and distinguished innings. I was a young intern working in Kurunegala in 1967. It was a soggy afternoon when a 2 year old was admitted to the paediatric ward with noisy difficult breathing. I diagnosed laryngeal obstruction caused by diphtheria and tried to contact my boss. In those days there were no bleeps or personal phones that worked outside the perimeter fence of the hospital. Unable to contact anyone I phoned Dr Soysa and he came promptly and performed a tracheostomy and the child survived. I do not think he was on call either. If he insisted on consultant to consultant referral the child most certainly would not have survived.
ReplyDeleteDr Soysa was a kind man always very polite.
May he find the ultimate bliss of nirvana.
I didn't know him at all but the story related by ND shows he was a man of high principles. Such men are rare and may his memory be a source of encouragement for those fortunate enough to have known him.
ReplyDeleteI knew him as a brother to veteran Samasamajist Bernard Soysa and
ReplyDelete,husband of Prof.Priyani.I can just recollect that both were at Ratnapura General during our 2nd year.
Under the influence of his socialist brother's influence,he must have devoted his medical carrier,entirely,in treating everyone equally.
May he reach the ultimate bliss of Nirvana.
Of course I knew the couple very closely since joining the Faculty in April 1969. I used to be invited for christmas dinners regularly and I used to meet Bernard Soysa during those memorable evenings. Bernard was a whiskey drinking Trotskyite and I used to have a variety of discusions with him because he was widely read. Although Ananda was 98 years when he died, Priyani is 92 years and they were in the same batch. I dropped in to A F Raymonds Funeral Parlour last Sunday, to pay me respects.
ReplyDeleteThank you for telling us,about your association with Soysa family over the years.I have a fair knowledge of Bernard's back ground.A product of Ananda college and graduated with an Honours Degree from University of Ceylon.Went into politics in Samasamaja ticket and held Tibirigasyaya seat in CMC and Colombo south in Parliament.When the CMC seats were re-demarcated,he won the Kirula seat and held onto it for a long time.He was well known as a veteran debater in the Parliament and visited UK on lecturing tours.I was told by a reliable source that Liberal MPs enjoyed listening to his discourse on leftist ideology.Whisky was a luxury at that time and Barnard defied the Socialist ideology.Kasippu for the poor and Brandy&Whisky for the rich.Bernard remained a bachelor all throughout life. According to the age gab between Priyani and Ananda,I presume Ananda would have been a mature student.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure they were in the same batch in Medical College? All I know is that Dr. Ananda had resigned and rejoined government service. I think in the fifties, doctors received appointments as Preliminary Grade Medical Officers as and when there were vacancies. Prof. Priyani had received her appointment in April 1950 and on that date no one else had been appointed (according to the Civil List of 1956). I wonder whether both Prof Priyani and Dr. Ana were in the same batch. Dr. Ana may have been senior.
DeleteIt is interesting to write about Socialism of 20th Century Ceylon without mentioning names as many of the stalwarts are no more. Socialism/Communism began with the Russian revolution and the overthrow of the despotic Czarist regime. The theory was brilliant and the intentions were good. In Ceylon socialism was a posh club of intelligentsia with a huge membership and a massive following of foot soldiers. Like Socialism worldwide it was socialism for the masses and a good life for themselves. They asked us to tighten our belts while they drank whisky and ate caviar. Their socialism ended where their bank accounts began. In Russia the party members enjoyed the high life while the people lived and died in poverty. This caused the regime to collapse. Socialism went into a spiral of decline. On a trip to Cuba with Castro’s special brand of socialism everyone was poor except Fidel himself who lived in a palatial house in a wooded park. I am no politician and have made no attempt to differentiate Socialism and Communism as it is well beyond me. For the many, Socialism was just a nice place to be in and lead a privileged existence.
ReplyDeleteP.S
I must make it abundantly clear this is in no way directed to Dr Ananda Soysa. He was a good doctor and a kind man who cared for his patients in the highest traditions of medicine. As I recall he never did any Private Practice. He treated the junior doctors with kindness and respect. His politics was a private matter as he never spoke about it. I wish there were many more doctors like him in this world.
I fully agree with ND about the good name attributed to Dr Ananda Soysa.The information I had in the past about Dr Ananda soysa confirms what ND has already documented.Voters were brainwashed by the
ReplyDeleteso called Socialists(Marxist,Communists).Ideology is outdated and Russia& and China had advanced since giving up Nationalisation and have prospered under private ownership.We hear about Russian Oligarchs and Chinese billionaires.When we were in China in late 1976 or thereabouts on a short term educational fellowship,we never saw privately owned cars.Most of the cominuting was done either by walking,cycling and Public transport.Since China became the second largest Economy,things have relaxed and there seems to be billions of private cars on the road.Pollution is at its highest level.I heard recently that 90% of the public transport is electrified.
Hammer&Sickle emblem has gone by the wind.New technology has taken over physical labour of the working class.
First of all, my sadness at hearing about the death of Dr Ananda Soysa and while I had no personal knowledge of or friendship with him, I know him as a great man and the experiences of Nihal and others who have personal knowledge of him are testimony to that. It is also very interesting for me to read about the socialism/communism debate. Many of us have gone through stages of appreciating these ideologies and also of knowing the impracticality of these. I find the discussion of this subject very interesting and appropriate, therefore. What I find is extremism of any kind is impractical and short lived. And they can also cause great harm. We had an example of that in the Easter Sunday attacks. Less said about it the better I think.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, long live the memory of Dr Ananda Soysa who appears to have been a great human being. Zita
Lucky,I am pretty sure that the two of them were in the same batch and Priyani was rather unhappy about the age difference. She tried to compensate for this academic mis-match by spinning yarns!One such yarn was that Ananda missed a First Class at the Final MBBS by a whisker, by obtaining 69 marks for each of the 3 subjects. When I was the Dean, I had access to the old results books and low and behold, Ananda's marks were closer to 60 rather than 70 and thereby hangs a tale (tail)!
ReplyDeleteAnanda was never in to politics. Kirula Road has been re-named as Bernard Soysa Mawatha.Ronnie de Mel is a cousin of Priyani's. When Ronnie was a Minister, it was all about "My cousin Ronnie" and when Bernard was a Deputy Minister ,it was all about "My Brother Bernard"!
Such was the change of winds with Priyani!If Ruhuna was not created, most probably I would have left the country, as I had got fed up to the 'back of my teeth ",listening to Priyani's yarns!
Lama!'
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that Priyani had a superiority complex.She mentioned that she got through MRCP with minimum effort.I can remember her mentioning about playing tennis while preparing for her Membership,when others were telling her MRCP is a difficult exam to pass.
I am sure you are well aware that Ananda initially had only the DLO and subsequently get through the hurdle of Fellowship.Lucky will have first hand information about all these facts and figures.
Sumathi is right. Dr. Ananda was a part qualified specialist with only the DLO for a long time. It was years later that he managed to get the FRCS.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a mystery to me why we appear to judge people by their qualifications and how “clever” they are. To me personally, these are relatively trivial matters in this fascinating journey of life in which we are not alone. There are far more important criteria and it is rather sad to think that a person like Priyani found it comforting to elevate her husband who had so many valuable characteristics in this way, or apparently so because I never had the chance to seek her views.
ReplyDeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteWhat I had written earlier shows the measure of the man. He came to rescue a child when he was called by a mere intern when he was not on call. We are talking about an event 50 years ago when consultants had big egos. Just like beauty the importance of the letters after one's name are in the eyes of the beholder.
Mia culpa!! I am at fault too occasionally on this score, perhaps a remnant of my Lankan upbringing drilled into me by those mythical Gods of the Health Department. Those who have diplomas were not allowed to be consultants in Colombo or Kandy. As a matter of fact diplomas in ENT, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Pathology are considered inadequate to get a consultancy in the UK.
Whether it is with a diploma or otherwise what is important is how they practice the noble profession. The importance of a higher professional qualification for a particular job has its merits.
As I read the previous comments I didnt feel anyone was being judgmental but just mentioning those criteria laid down by the Department of Health without saying it in so many words.
I do know where you are coming from and agree there is a lot of conceit and vanity in relation to postgraduate degrees . We did however talk about these when we were at the prime of our lives accepting the kudos and the adulation. But not now languishing in the departure lounge.
I endorse what you say Nihal. The letters after the name does not matter, but, does matter in the sense that the acquiring of the letters imply the associated knowledge and expertise that goes with it. I would hazard a guess that the dangling of the carrot in front of us when we were just discovering the real world was designed largely to exploit our desire to be regarded highly by our peers, although not solely. It is all about building our self image to be liked, admired and in some cases, venerated! We know now of course that being a successful doctor involves much more than filling our ego baskets with degrees. To me, Dr Ananda Soysa sounds like a man with excellent attributes as evidenced by your anecdote about him.
ReplyDeletePlease do not misunderstand me. Ananda was a thorough gent to his finger-tips!He acquired the FRCS many years later. That is why he could not join Priyani at LRH for a long time.The Ministry of Health had strict regulations prior to the setting up of the PGIM. Up to the 1980s, to be appointed to the DMH, the FRCS was mandatory, because there were some Gyn. beds at GHC. Therefore Obstetricians with only the MRCOG were confined to the Castle Street Maternity Hospital as they could not apply for DMH. Only those with MRCP (Lond),were appointed to GHC. That is why Nagaratnam ,who had MRCP (Glasgow) was not appointed to the GHC for a long time. George Ratnavel, used to refer to the MRCP London, Edinburgh and Glasgow as Gold, Silver and Bronze , respectively. He said that those who had all three, probably failed the London exam and acquired it later. If one obtained the London degree initially, there was no need to sit for the Edinburgh and Glasgow exams.
ReplyDeleteIn addition the MD (Cey) was required to be appointed to GHC. Many physicians like "Pol"Weerasekere were not appointed to GHC, because of this.
ReplyDeleteAs a medical student and also in later years I was in awe of those who got their MD(Cey) during the reign of Prof Rajasuriya. It wasn't doled our willy nilly. It was achieved with a lot of hard work, an abundance of grey matter and some good fortune. As professionals we like letters after our names. I do not think there is any harm in this provided we don't use them to deride and belittle others.
ReplyDeleteMy only claim to fame is that I walked the long corridors of the GHC with many in our batch who achieved such greatness and danced inebriated on the Bridge Table in the Common Room at the chagrin of the bridge players
Lama was absolutely right about discrimination against holders of MRCP & FRCS from Edinburgh & Glasgow in getting posts in GHC and DMH.I remember Dr nagaratnam well.He took over the ward from Dr Medonza,and was involved in a research project with a British Consultant,looking into the incidence of Thalassaemia in Sri-Lanka .When they were collecting blood samples from Hambantota District,I was MOH Hambantota and was able to help them.In fact MD(Cey) was a must to get into GHC.Doctors with MRCOG sat for the FRCS (Edinburgh) and I was told that was a part of Gyn & Obs and nothing to do with General FRCS.Some doctors had General FRCS.I wonder whether any one of the readers heard about Dr.Coomaraswamy who obtained FRCS,MRCOG and MRCP.He was a registrar to Dr.Anthonis and Prof Sinnathamby,during our training.He was rejected,when applied for the Chair of Obs & Gyn at the Peradeniya Faculty.I am aware of the "coup"behind his rejection.He was best candidate,on paper.My understanding is that he migrated to Australia,having rejected in favour of Kingsley de Silva?.By the way Prof Rajasuriya failed his own Registrar -Wimalaratna at the MD Exam.I am sure poor Wimalaratna did not get on well during the latter part of his tenure.Poor fellow ended up as a Consultant at Kurunegala General,until his demise.Another Post graduate degrees were MS and MOG.I can recollect Dr Douglas Wickramasinghe getting his MS and Dr,Viswanathan getting his MOG.I have not forgotten about the long case Douglas had for his MS.There was patient in DFde S's ward with and AV aneurysm in one thigh.There was a possibility that Douglas had first hand knowledge about the management of such a case.Douglas was a Registrar to Prof.Milroy during that period.Douglas opted for administrative work and sacrificed his future Professorship.He was a Senior lecturer in Surgery at Peradeniya Campus.One has to be brainy,lucky and in good books with the Professors.I also remember a doctor by the name of Don Ariyathilake Sonnadara,who had MD and DCH from Ceylon and was able to get a Consultant post without MRCP.I am not sure whether he came all the way to UK to sit MRCP.Lama will have first hand information.
ReplyDeleteFalse and flawed and futile values!
ReplyDeleteI agree there was a lot of conceit and vanity in the profession. A lot of hot air about nothing !!
ReplyDelete"No one can make us feel inferior without our consent".
Eleanor Roosevelt
That is a wonderful saying! No one can hurt you with words unless you allow them to be "heard".
Deletebon mot,Speedy.
ReplyDeleteSumathi, I am really surprised about your knowledge about medical personnel and academic staff in Sri Lanka although you left the country long ago. D A Sonnadara took a along time to pass the MRCP, which he eventually did after I had passed the MRCP in May 1972. Many years later he applied for the Senior Lecturer's post in Kelaniya and I happened to be on the selection panel on Carlo's invitation. Naomal Guneratne was selected and Sonnadara filed a case against the decision and I was listed as one of the respondents. He lost the case!
ReplyDeleteThanks,Lama.
ReplyDeleteI have visited Dr.Sonnadara's flat that was not far away from the Medical school,to collect contributions for the block concert.He was a registrar in Paediatrics and newly married.There was no hesitation in his contribution.He was a non assuming type according to my judgement.His car at that time was a small ford Anglia?.It is a pity that he failed his MRCP several times,in spite of his prestigious MD(Cey).You and I know very very well MD(Cey) was a very tough exam to get through.There was another Physician who failed his MRCP on several occasions,who held the post as Resident Physician for many years,until he was appointed Consultant in the GHC.Her at last got his MRCP in time.He had his MD first shot and was a popular Registrar to late Prof.P B Fernando and a contemporary of late Prof.K Dharmadasa.I remember Dr.Anthonis telling us on one occasion that D F de S failed his FRCS first attempt when Antho himself got through first attempt. I have a sound knowledge of Sri Lankan medical politics.
Sonnadara's father-in-law was one Dr. Wijeratne, who had a clinic at the top of 42nd Lane, Wellawatte, where I grew up.He was our GP. I remember my mother taking me in a rickshaw to his clinic many times. His stock prescription contained a bitter mixture and a powder , which failed to dissolve in water and the bitter particles used to get stuck in my throat! He also had a dispensary in Maradana. He had also had a MD. Sonnadara lived in Kynsey Road with his family. As Sonnadara's batch -mate happened to be Lakshman Attygalle, they used to study together in the latter;s house. Sir Nicholas Attygalle was Sonnadara's marriage broker!
ReplyDeleteThank you ,Lama for giving some more details about Dr Sonnadara.Lashaman Attygalle had a first class in MBBS in that year when your relative from marriage to Kamini,Michael too was a first class graduate.I met Michael as a medical student during his RS job in GHC and during my job at Anuradhapura General.He was RS at that time.He encouraged me to sit for Primary FRCS and not to waste time as MO,OPD.He was a down to earth man.Allowed his wife to use the car and he cycled to hospital.People were amazed and there was a Medical rep who had a car and used to cast remarks about the behaviour of Michael.He was absolutely right about not polluting the air by using a pushbike.I am sure he ended up as a Paediatric Surgeon at Lady Ridgeway hospital.Lakshaman too was an RS,,more or less during that time in GHC.As you mentioned about the decoctions in the era bygone,we all had multicoloured mixture and tablets for our ailments.People were made to believe in poly Pharmacy for miracle cures.
ReplyDeleteKamalika's father ,George Wickramasuriya was the first Ceylonese Professor of Obstetrics but he unfortunately died before assuming duties.He was a cousin of my mother and I was delivered by him on the 30th of December 1942 in Ward 3 DMH. My two sons were delivered by Dr. Thavarasa in the same unit, several decades later. Kamalika's family created the George Wickramasuriya research prize in 1975 and I won it in the very first year, sharing it with Professor S Ratnam, a Sri Lankan Professor of Obstetrics, based in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteDear Sumathi, Nihal, Mahendra and Sanath,
ReplyDeleteThis discussion started with the debate on the need for and eligibility of well-known people’s right to letters after their names. I look upon such titles as mostly deserved. But there are the cases with a query of eligibility and whether it is just a habit to give these names. I have no problem with students receiving these after satisfactory performance in an exam or satisfactory completion of a training programme. Those letters validate their ability and are essential for certain positions. I don’t see them as mere decorations. And it is up to the Organisation and the College to stick to strict rules of eligibility.
Then there are the merely political assignments which give a sense of honour to the recipient. I have no problem with that either except they should not stand above educational and experience related titles.
Thank you ,Lama for your valuable contribution.I gathered from a another friend,who was 2 yrs junior,Dr Thavarasa was the only Tamil to be appointed to Prof Ranaya's unit.Prof Sinnathamby preferred doctors who could speak Tamil and the only exception was Dr.Kannangara(son of late C.W.W.Kannangara)I am sure there were many instances where favours were done for their own nationals.I do not know whether you have come across these deplorable situations.I came to know that Dr.Thavara migrated to Australia and was doing well over,there.I was told by a reliable friend that Prof Ratnam helped Tamil doctors from Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeleteI knew that you had connections with the powerful Medical fraternity.I certainly agree with Zita's comments.
Sumathi, the best example of communal discrimination is when Rajasuriya died, the Chair was not given to David Chanmugam, who was next in line. Instead it was given to K, Dharmadasa, who was seconded for two years from the MoH. When Ranasinghe retired, Visvanathan should have succeeded him. Instead it was given to D E Gunatilleke, who was also seconded from the MoH. During this time private practice was restored to the MoH consultants. Both Dharmadasa and Gunatilleke threatened to revert back to the MoH, after two years, if practice was not given.If they did so , Chanmugam and Visvanathan would have got the chairs. To prevent it, practice was given to University staff. I was also one of the beneficiaries in 1979, when that happened!
ReplyDeleteI have heard about Dr.D,E.Gunathilake,who was at Kandy general and was the Prof at Peradeniya Faculty.His first name I can remember very well.Danwanthari(name of a famous Rishi-Physician in Hindu mythology)As far as Prof.Dharmadas is concerned,he had the credential by been a Registrar to Prof.P.B.Fernando.He had no Academic post,otherwise.I am sure there was a coup to prevent a Tamil getting into those prestigious posts.I knew that Some Consultants were planning to prevent a Tamil getting into the shoes of Prof,Sinna,on his retirement.I have a feeling that Prof.Ranaya did not get on well with Visva.My on boss at Ratnapura,Dr.B.A.Jayaweera got the Prof post at Peradeniya,on Sinna's retirement.I was aware that there was a plan to send Dr.A.M.Mendis as Prof,but he seemed to have rejected it in order to stay in Colombo.I have no idea whether he applied to the Post in Colombo,on Ranayas retirement.I am sure you will have first hand information about Medical Politics,in Sri-Lanka.I knew a little bit from Dr.Jayaweera,during my internship at Ratnapura General.In fact John Karu,with whom I did my six months of Gyn&Obs,wanted to make me HO in the unit.He knew that I was interested in General Medicine and not in other fields.I remember the nasty remark made by Prof Rajasuriya about OBS&Gyn(Nihal already mentioned in one of his myriads of articles).
ReplyDeleteD E Gunatilleke, was never a professor at Peradeniya,as far as I am aware. He was recruited from the MoH. Dharmasena was the Professor of Medicine at Peradeniya. AM Mendis emigrated to Australia.
ReplyDeleteWho took over from From,Prof Sinna?.Was it Dr.B.A.Jayaweera?.I knew that Dr.Jayaweera left the post in order to take up WHO post.Dr Sivasuriya was a Senior lecturer as well.
ReplyDeleteDr.Bennet Jayaweera succeeded Sinnethamby and Sivasuriya went to Jaffna in 1980 when Ruhuna and Jaffna opened that year. Ramadas who was my paediatric colleague in Peradeniya, also left for Jaffna in 1980 and he left for New Zealand later. Sivasuriya's son, Sivaganesh is a Senior Lecturer in Surgery in Colombo
ReplyDeleteThanks,Lama.I had a friend who was 2 yrs junior,was a Registrar to Prof Jayaweera. Prof Jayaweera was at Ratnapura during my internship.Indra.Sidat.Mahesan and myself were HOs to John Karunaratne and Preethi Rajapakse was an HO to Dr.Jayaweera.My friend was very grateful to Dr.Sivasuriya for teaching the nitty gritty bits in OBS&GYN.Not only that.Dr Sivasuriya had suggested that he could send my friend to join Prof.Ratnam.My friend never thought about the value of joining a renowned Prof in OBS&GYN.My friend got through MRCOG first attempt and never sat for FRCS.His batch,P.A.de Silva got through both FRCS&MRCOG and ended up as a Genito-Urinary Physician.My friend ended up in Australia as a community Obstetrician,where he met Dr.Thavarasa.By the way,I was told that Dr.Sivasuriya was related to Prof.Ratnam of Singapore.
ReplyDelete