The Teachers who taught and inspired me
by Nihal D Amerasekera
W.B. Yeats. (1865 - 1939) Irish poet, dramatist and prose writer
George Bernard Shaw in his drama “Man and Superman” commented ‘Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach’. His words have since been a consistent irritation to teachers. Long years before G.B Shaw, Aristotle in his wisdom said “Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach”. The Greek philosopher also went on ” The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet”. We know that only too well.
As the years pass and memories fade there are some things we will never forget. Entry into the Faculty of Medicine was the culmination of years of preparation and sacrifice. We still had the security of home. Our parents fed and clothed us and paid the bills. We dreamed it was a passport to fame and fortune. There was such a great sense of myopic optimism; we lost ourselves in the adulation. Life always has ways to bring us back to reality!!
It’s been said before; ours was the golden age of medical education in Sri Lanka. I feel greatly privileged to have been taught by some remarkable teachers. I still consider our Professors, lecturers and clinical tutors as some of the best in the world. I marvel at their clinical skills and recoil at their egotistical arrogance. We remember them all with gratitude. We soon learnt to survive and even thrive in that air of toxicity. We tread cautiously and endured the arrogance and conceit in silence in the hope of better times. In reality it wasn’t all bad. Surprisingly I don’t feel resentful. The tough life gave us self-reliance, confidence, grit and determination. I am told, the atmosphere and attitudes have evolved significantly to reflect changes in society. I remember our teachers with much affection and gratitude and thank them for their commitment to teaching.
As the sunset on our student days, there was a new dawn of a career in Medicine. Although we left the faculty, it never really left us. Time ticked on and decades passed swiftly. Many of us have now bade farewell to our professional lives. Here we are on our onward journey recalling memories of a time now long gone.
Prof Milroy Paul
Many from my era and before will recognise Prof Milroy Paul as the Godfather of Surgery in our island. From 1936-1965 he was the founder Professor of Surgery at the Colombo Medical College and the Children’s Hospital. I presume his sharp intuition was an enormous help in his profession as a surgeon before the days of digital scans. He was a man of great presence and striking appearance and his charisma seemed magnetic. I believe as the Professor he was unable to do any private surgery but never did any after retirement although he was popular, widely known and respected. The richness of his career was his priceless gift.
I remember with great fondness and nostalgia his erudite lectures in surgery at the administration block of the faculty. The Prof delivered his lessons with such effortlessness and aplomb without even a scrap of paper to jog his memory. Listening to him, his brilliance was never in doubt. They were lectures in common sense as much as surgical diagnosis and treatment. He was charismatic and eloquent. His simplicity, modesty and humility stood out. I was saddened to hear that in later years he became blind in both eyes after a tennis injury. It seems he never gave the impression that he was perturbed by ill health. He passed away in 1989. May his Soul Rest in Peace.
Monumentum requiris, circumspice (if you seek his monument, look around) The service provided by his students is a lasting legacy to show his immense contribution to medical education in Ceylon.
Dr U.S Jayawickrama
He was at Royal College Colombo and entered
Medical College in 1949. After the MBBS in 1954 he completed his MRCP and MD in
1963. He was a Consultant Physician at the G.H.C for 18 years. He was also
elected President of the Ceylon College of Physicians in 1980.
My final fling with the G.H.C was in 1973/74 when I was a Registrar to Dr U.S Jayawickreme. I learnt much more from USJ than clinical medicine. A deeply thoughtful man, he taught us how to connect with our patients.
One such patient was Wimal, a clerk working in a government department. He was around 50 years old. Wimal had a young family and was terminally ill with myeloid leukaemia. I remember speaking with him everyday. I became closer to him than any other patient in the ward. I spoke and joked with him just before I went for my lunch break. On my return the guy in the bed next to Wimal gave me the sad news that he passed away. Wimal had asked him to say thank you and goodbye to me for all the help and friendship. I still remember his friendly face and his soft voice.
USJ took over the ward from Dr W Wijenaike. He was a fine clinician and a dignified unassuming gentleman. Always immaculately dressed he showed tremendous kindness to his patients and to the staff. In turn he received great loyalty and enormous respect. He showed us how to conduct ourselves calmly and with dignity in the ward. His patients adored him. His work ethic and bedside manner had a tremendous impact on me. That was a fine finale for my clinical years at the GHC. In his written reference his generous praise and expression of pride in his (imperfect) registrar meant so much to me. He passed away at the age of 88.
May he find the ultimate Bliss of Nirvana
Dr R.S Thanabalasundrum
My first clinical appointment as a medical student in Colombo was with Dr Thanabalasundrum. Then he was at the zenith of his profession and remained as one of the best teachers of clinical medicine in the country. He was a brilliant professional and a consummate physician. He took teaching seriously and introduced a system and structure into history taking. He brought logic into our clinical methods, diagnosis and treatment. When presenting cases nothing incorrect went past his sharp intellect. He always tested and challenged the student’s narrative. The little book of Clinical Methods by Hutchison and Hunter held more reverence than the bible. His pearls of wisdom filled our notebooks.
Dr Rajadurai Selliah Thanabalasundrum was born in Kokuvil in 1922. His father was a doctor. After a stint in the local primary school he entered Royal College Colombo where he had a glittering academic career. In the Ceylon Medical College he worked diligently to obtain first-class honours in all examinations achieving the rare feat of distinctions in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics in the Final MBBS in 1946. After obtaining his MD in 1954 and MRCP (Lond) he returned to become the Visiting Physician in Jaffna. He was appointed Consultant Physician to the General Hospital Colombo in 1956. In that same year he was married to Pamathy Sivagnanasundrum. They had two daughters and a son.
After retirement from the GHC he continued with his private practice in Colombo for many years until he became the Professor of Medicine of the North Colombo Medical College in 1985. There he remained until 1995. As Professor he was greatly respected as an exceptional lecturer and good colleague. In recognition of his long years of service to the nation the Government bestowed on him the honour of Deshabandu in 1998.
All through the political upheavals and the grim era of ethnic tensions his love for the country of his birth sustained him and never wavered. He continued to live at Horton Place Colombo 7 until his death in November 2007. His remains were cremated with Hindu rites at the General Cemetery Kanatte. The likes of him are a rarity and irreplaceable in this selfish and egotistical world.
His name will be etched in the Hall of Fame of Medical greats in Sri Lanka to be remembered for all time.
May he find Eternal Peace.
Don Jinadasa Attygalle
Dr Attygalle was a fine physician, a
meticulous teacher, and a consultant of the old school with clinical acumen and
insight of the first quality. I remember well his ward classes when he taught
us the basics of taking a good history, eliciting physical signs and collating
the facts to reach a diagnosis. He was
softly spoken and treated the houseman, nurses, medical students and other
staff with great kindness and respect. Many of Dr Attygalle’s junior medical
staff speak of him in glowing terms as an excellent and astute physician and of
his conscientious sense of honour. As a Consultant Physician he had a
distinguished career that rivalled the best.
Dr Attygalle married Dr Daphne Kanagaratne. She became professor of pathology and dean of the Colombo medical faculty. She predeceased him in 1989. They did not have any children.
He was one of the great physicians of his time admired, loved and respected by his patients and medical colleagues. Through his enthusiasm, he inspired many young junior doctors to sustained achievement. A veritable role model for all doctors from all disciplines. Rather reclusive and even enigmatic, he was a very private man away from the GHC. Dr D.J Attygalla was a devout Buddhist well known for his generous donations to a multitude of charities. After a lifetime of service, Dr D.J Attygalla passed away in 1997. May he find the Ultimate Bliss of Nirvana.
Prof Valentine Basnayake
He had a lifelong love of music and was a fine pianist. He soon became Sri Lanka’s foremost accompanist and a regular performer at the Lionel Wendt.
In 1968 he joined the Faculty of Medicine at Peradeniya as its Professor of Physiology which was the ultimate accolade. Soon he became the Dean of the Faculty a position he held for 3 years with poise, tact and equanimity. Prof VB was a softly spoken unpretentious gentleman who had no harsh word for anyone.
He belonged to a fast vanishing era of
privileged aristocrats of the Medical Profession. Doubtless, that was part of
his appeal as a cultured gentleman. Despite his posh diction, he was tolerant
and non-demonstrative and never pompous. He wore those privileges with modesty
and charm. In an era when some Senior Professionals had big egos and treated
students with contempt Prof Basnayake treated each of us with courtesy, dignity
and respect. That is how I would remember this erudite scholar. He passed away
in 2014. May he find Eternal Peace.
Paintings of Teachers done by ND (Nihal)
Nihal, you have shown your great skills once again. I was one of the fortunate to do both Medical assignments with DJA & RSB. Prof Rajasuriya used to asked his students about their previous Medical attachments and he was please when students mentioned Dr RST's name. Prof had a high regard for RST.In fact Prof was under care of RST,when he had the initial MI(anecdotal evidence)USJ was based in the General as RP and acting Consultant, until he was a permanent VP. You all will remember the days we had to do the tests of Bennedict, Rothera and Gerhardt. Prof used to chase the students away when they failed describe the tests by heart. Prof Paul's lecturers were full of criticism of British Surgeons. It was a great achievement to possess both, MRCP and FRCS.I know of one Dr, who was a SHO to Antho and later in Prof Sinna's unit, who obtained MRCP,FRCS and MRCOG.His name was Cumaraswamy or Coomaraswamy with C at the beginning and not K as we all know. He tried to be the Prof of Gyn&Obs at Peradeniya Medical school. In spite of his paper qualifications, the job went to Kingsley de Silva. Dr Cum emigrated to either Aus or New Zealand. Lama is the person who will know about that particular incident.
ReplyDeleteSumathy
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you as you delve into those wonderful archives of your memory. How do you remember those intricate details about people. That is indeed a great gift. I learnt more clinical medicine from RST than at the professorial appointment. He was such a wonderful teacher. USJ was not so flamboyant as some of the others but a fine clinician and such a lovely person to work for. You must remember RP Jayawardene. He was a jolly person always ready for a laugh but taught the basics well. He later was our patron at Jeewaka hostel and a great benefactor to our cause.
Sumathy We haven't met since that reunion in London at the Satay House. Hopefully we can meet on my next visit to Birmingham. Take care
Thanks Nihal, RPJ was friendly Consultant. I hadn't a chance of doing an attachment, however he conducted a pre-clinical class where we were tested on the value of serum bilirubin. None of us were able to come out with the answer. SriKantha told it as a small amount and used his two fingers to high light. RPJ had a good laugh. When we had to enter the names in the attendance register, I added Dr in front of SriKantha's name. When RPJ saw that, he had a good laugh I knew his as the Warden of Jeewaka hostel.May the creator be exalted for keeping my past memory intact.
ReplyDeleteRPJ was not just a Warden by name. He visited the hostel when it was at Turrett Road at least once a week usually on a Sunday for a chat with the boys. We also discussed the problems we faced as a hostel and how to improve the facilities. As I recall it was a time for a light-hearted chat too with plenty of jokes from his huge repertoire. RPJ became a prime mover when the idea was floated by senior medical students to have a Buddhist hostel. Infact he helped the student to rent the huge house in the plush surroundings of Kollupitiya opposite the Liberty Cinema. He was ever present at our functions at Jeewaka.
DeleteMay he find eternal peace
Nihal ,my heartiest congratulations again for your excellent portraits and pen-sketches.
ReplyDeleteMilroy Paul-My first contact with him was when we did pre-clinicals in
his unit. I taught Milroy Paul's daughter; when she came for the Paediatric final exam, she was in an advanced state of pregnancy and delivered soon after. Sometimes I used to give lifts to MP down Ward Place, in my Triumph Herald.
Milroy's nephew, Rudra Rasaratnam was a newly returned surgeon when I was an intern with PRA. he was a cricket fan and specialised later in CT surgery. I used to discuss cricket with him. He told me that my PhD supervisor, John Harries, was with him at medical school at King's College, London.
Milroy's nephew Raja Cooke was an onco-surgeon and another close relative, Arudpragasam, was an ENT surgeon. I taught the latter's daughter in the Colombo Faculty.
RST was undoubtedly a remarkable teacher. In the early 1950s he visited our residence when my sister Chitrika was stricken with typhoid fever. His sister was transferred from Peradeniya to Colombo and joined our batch, together with Manel W.,Srianee B, and Sue R, so as to break up romances; these succeeded except in the case of RST's sister. I attended RST's funeral at Kanatte.
USJ is a relative of mine. He took his time passing the MRCP. His maternal uncle was T S Fernando, Supreme Court Judge. As he did not have children of his own, he used to visit our residence at Wellawatte and play a card game called marriage with me, when I was about five years old.. He is the person who introduced me to play cards and now I have become a gin rummy and poker addict!
When I met him in London in July 1972, he was over-joyed when I told him that I had passed both the MRCP in DCH ,within six months of my arrival in London. I thought it was because of the struggle his nephew USJ had undergone to obtain the MRCP. USJ's younger brother is Nihal, a well known legal academic and former Secretary Law. USJ 's hobby was wood carving.
DJA - Was a quiet shy person. When he purchased a brand new Austin Cambridge car, he used to park it far away from the ward. His channel fees were a meagre amount. His wife was Daphne Kanakaratne (not Kanagaratne) whose brother was Neville. DJA gifted his house to the YMBA.
VB- I remember him for teaching us a mnemonic tp remember the sequence of blood clotting factors Federal Party, Tamil Congress, - Fibrinogen, Prothrombin, Thromboplastin, Calcium (I used to remember the sequence with a better mnemonic, F-----g Prostitutes Throughout Colombo!
VB's younger brother Prema married Srianee B.
Sumathi, I remember Coomaraswamy the VOG, but I cannot remember any more details.
Nihal, my heartiest congratulations for your excellent portraits and pen-sketches.
ReplyDeleteMilroy Paul,
My first encounter with him was during pre-clinical ward classes. Much later I used to give him lifts in my Triumph Herald car. I taught his daughter in Colombo and when she came for the Final Paediatric examination, she was in an advanced state of pregnancy and delivered soon after. MP's nephew Rudra Rasaratnam, was a newly returned RS when I did my internship with PRA. he had been at the Kings College London Medical School, London, together with John Harries, Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology at the GOS, who was my PhD supervisor. We used to discuss cricket a lot.
Another nephew of MP, Rajah Cooke was an onco-surgeon. Another relative was Arudpragasam, an ENT surgeon, whose daughter I taught in Colombo.
US Jayawickrama was a relative of mine. His maternal uncle was TS Fernando, Judge of the Supreme Court. As he did not have children, he was very fond of me, and used to visit our residence at Wellawatte often. When I was about five years old, he introduced me to a card game called marriage and since then I have become a poker and gin rummy addict!. After returning from England he gifted me a pack of cards, in which the photographs of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish players, formed the four suits.
In June 1972, when I met him England, he was surprised and happy when I told him that I had passed both the MRCP and the DCH, within six months of my arrival in London. That was probably because USJ took several years to pass the MRCP. USJ was an expert wood carver.
USJ's younger brother Nihal is a former Secretary Law, as well as a legal academic.
RST was an excellent teacher. In the early 1950s he had visited our residence to see my sister Chitrika, who was stricken with typhoid fever. His sister joined our batch from Peradeniya, together with Manel W.,Srianee B. and Sue R. The motive was to disrupt budding romances and was successful in all, except in the case of RST's sister.
D J Attygalle possessed a shy personality. He used to park his brand new Austin Cambridge car far away from his ward, probably to hide it from his students. His consultation fees were very meagre. He was married to Professor Daphne Kanakaratne (not Kanagaratne). Their house in Borella was gifted to the YMBA.
Valentine Basnayake was excellent at the piano and together with Earle de Fonseka, was fantastic. He taught us a mnemonic to help us to remember the sequence of numbering of clotting factors; Federal Party, Tamil Congress, for fibrinogen, prothrombin, thromboplastin and calcium. I had a better mnemonic, F-----g Prostitutes Throughout Colombo!
His younger brother Prema, married Srianee B.
Wonderful portraits again Nihal. Well done! All the personalities referred to are remembered with gratitude and a great deal of fondness.
ReplyDeleteI remember RST (affectionately called "Thana Balls") for something he taught and has stood me in good stead over time, i.e., his 10 point analysis of pain -1. Site 2. Intensity
3. Duration, 4 Frequency 5. Character, 6. Radiation 7. Provoking factors, 8. Relieving factors, 9. Aggravating factors 10. Accompanying factors. which I have referred to before in this blog. I have not forgotten this and I have taught this to innumerable medical students and junior doctors.
For some reason, DJA conjures the image of a quiet man in a white suit always, a little bit fidgety sniffing into a white handkerchief! And USJ, as a person always with a smile. Valentine Basnayake was dreamy and would pause many tines in mid-lecture to stare at something only he could see. Wonderful pianist of course and gentle and well mannered. Prof. Milroy was great to listen to but not the most skillful surgeon. His brother ATS was much better as a Cardio-thoracic surgeon (hope I got the speciality right).
Mahen
DeleteThank you for the comment and your management of the Blog. Your helpful kindness is much appreciated.
There was a guy at Jeewaka who mis-pronounced and used to call Dr RST ----- THANA_BALANA_SUNDRUM.
He was indeed a great teacher and greatly appreciated for his professionalism.
When RST went to school in Jaffna, the bus fare had been 10 cents. His father had regularly given him nine one cent coins. As the conductor did not bother to count the coins, RST got a free ride once in 10 days. His father had been called "Ompadu Satham"!
ReplyDeleteNihal
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing your excellent portraits and the texts regarding them with us. Well done! You have a fine memory which I lack. It took me back to medical College days which I enjoyed.Happy momories.
Chira
Chira
DeleteThank you for your support for the blog and being ever so kind with your comments. You distinguished yourself with your fine memory for events in your searchingly interesting dialogue. I'm sure there is more to come and we look forward to those in the fullness of time. Do take care in these difficult times.
Lama thank you so much for me to refresh my knowledge of Tamil. You must have heard of Panam Kotte, as a dowry given during marriage. B
ReplyDeleteSanath
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments. The mention of USJ and the MRCP brought back memories of the interest and even the snobbery that existed about where the degree was obtained. There was a belief in the profession that London was more prestigious than Edin or Glasgow. This was a feeling that was prevalent in SL and also to some extent in the UK although it was extinguished more rapidly in the latter. Thankfully it is now MRCP(UK).
Those who obtained MRCP in several cities included all that after their names. This was the case for FRCS too.
The radiology degree FRCR is a more recent addition to the plethora of qualifications. Radiology was a incorporated into the Royal College of Surgery until they parted company more recently. It is still FRCR(London) even if one gets it in Scotland. Before the Surgical and Radiology Royal Colleges parted company the qualifying examination was the diploma in radiology DMRD. The diplomas for all specialities were looked down upon by the Ministry and the Profession in SL and were considered part qualification. I just wonder of this has changed. I recall asking my boss the Director of Radiology at UCH if I should sit for the DMRD he said “You will be sitting the FRCR in 6 months time, whatever is the point of a diploma”.
The whole of the medical professional training program has been gradually overhauled in the UK and with it the examinations. Like the entry in to the profession, the professional exams are a level playing field now in the UK and thankfully so are the professional appointments. There are doctors with non-English names as Professors and holding prestigious consultant posts in teaching hospitals in London. That indeed is progress when what greeted foreign doctors who arrived in London in the 1960’s were greeted with placards and posters “No Blacks” when hunting for accommodation.
Hi Nihal
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting and informative article. I agree that
Dr Thanabalasundaram was outstanding. So too were Dr Wijeynayake
and Dr Attygalla. You have an amazing memory to be able recall all these details which I really enjoyed reading.
Your post brought back a story, which was related to me by Dr Stella de Silva, a brilliant clinician, and a close relative of Harshi’s ,when she spent a few days with us in London many years ago.
Background:
Once upon a time, in a small close, off Horton Place, lived four consultants :
DrRasanayagam (ENT), DrThanabalasundaram (Physician),
Dr Stella De Silva(Paediatrician) and Dr George Ratnavale(Neurologist).
They were the only residents in that location. Needless to say, a very high concentration of "Clinical Medicine " per square metre.
One day Dr T got severe chest pain and his three neighbours came to his house immediately like "HO to see case Stat".
Following a quick examination, it was decided that Dr T should be admitted to hospital ASAP. Dr R volunteered to pack a bag with clothes and toiletries etc to take to hospital. During this process Dr R approached Dr Stella and said quietly, "Stella where does Dr T keep his Pyjamas?". A surprised Stella replied in a loud voice, "George what makes you think that I know where Dr T keeps his pyjamas?”.
Hi Bora
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting.
Good to hear your light-hearted anecdotes enough to raise a smile in these hard times. I just wonder how it would have sounded if Stella said "he wears a sarong and not pyjamas". I remember Dr Stella with respect.
To all my learned friends
ReplyDeleteAs I look through the fog of time of nearly half a century, I see the aura and the magic the MD(Cey) had accrued. The recipients of this prestigious degree belonged to an exclusive club and walked with a spring in their step. With justification they received great adulation from the medical profession. The exclusivity was maintained by Prof P.B. Fernando and later Prof K.Rajasuriya. They didn’t want this degree, with such great kudos, distributed to all and sundry, like Smarties.
The fall-out from this was that to be a consultant in the teaching hospitals in Kandy and Colombo the physicians required to have the MD(Cey). On looking back doctors who possessed the MD had that extra bit of knowledge that was worthy of praise. To my knowledge M.S (Cey) wasn’t a requirement for surgeons.
Much has changed since those days of wine and roses. Being away for so long I know not how much has changed. Does the MD have the same effect on the medical fraternity as then? I take it that the current MD degree is not only for physicians but is generic and non-specific. Are the degrees MRCP and FRCS a prerequisite for a consultant position in the Ministry of Health in SL or should they be?
I have said it many times on this blog that when I passed the MBBS in 1967 I wanted no more examinations. My dream was to be a DMO in a far flung place closer to nature. Those esteemed degrees seemed a long way away. My destiny had other plans for me and the rest as they say is history.
Nihal, do you know that India refused to accept UK degrees, some of my Indian friends cross the Irish Sea to sit their exams that were recognised in India. That was in late seventies.
ReplyDeleteSumathy
ReplyDeleteYes I am told that India does not recognise British degrees. They have their own system now for higher training of doctors.
I find the system in the USA for specialist training to be good and would like the opinions of our mates in the USA.
I retired 15 years ago and at the time found the surgical training here in the UK less than satisfactory but it became common knowledge and may have changed now.
Nihal, As usual you have treated us to some beautiful portraits and excellent 'mini-bios' of some of our memorable teachers. You probably had to do a little research to dig up some details. I am amazed at the memories of some of my batch mates! (Sumathi!) I don't remember many details, but do recall the elegant, kindly manner of Dr. Atygalle, the sharp clinal acumen of Dr. "Thanaballs" (All of them , really) I also remember the soporific lectures of Dr. Valentine Basnayake! He was a good guy, though. I often remember nostalgically how these clinicians took histories, elicited physical signs and seemed to have that sixth sense, honed over time, to get to the correct diagnosis. I still remember the first patient I saw in Dr. Ernie Peiris' ward, a young man with Ankylosing spondylitis. Our teachers did not have access to modern technology, so they had to depend on their powers of observation, experience and skills. Doctors nowadays, especially in the US, are quick to order a million and one tests and hardly take the time to make eye contact with their patients. I'm exaggerating of course!
ReplyDeleteI think their skills will disappear - disuse atrophy!
About the alphabet soup of acquired degrees, I'm glad I don't have to deal with all that anymore!
Srianee
DeleteThank you. I did have to research the lives of these great guys. Sumathy's memory for detail is simply astounding as is Sanath Lama's.
Mention of Ernie P reminds me of a ward class when Rajalaxmi presented a case brilliantly with her usual soft voice when he called her WHISPERING PECTORILOQUY.
You are so right about seeing patients nowadays: So much dependence on imaging and other tests. When doing Ultrasound I read the patient notes that contain a 2 line history and a few lines of a cursory examination. Prof R may turn in his grave seeing such "irrational Negligence".
Nice to see your comments, Srianne. Thanks to my "Creator" for keeping my memory intact. You were right about our doing blood grouping and cross matching after 5pm.Dr David was the MO Blood Bank during my time. He was very friendly and taught us the very basics and nothing went wrong as far as I was concerned
Delete"Thanaballs" was brilliant in interpreting ECG. The HO was Dr.Johnpulle who was very friendly and showed us the ECGs of MI cases. Amoebic hepatis and abscess were diagnosed clinically and the poor souls had shots of that toxic drug emetine and chloroquine. We had several cases in Ratnapura as well. You might remember, we injected one shot of emetine after aspiration into the abscess cavity. Modern day Medicine has changed so much and Consultants are either lazy or not familiar with the old fashioned palpation-percussion and auscultations, methods. It has become the norm to order a plethora of investigations some
are highly irrelevant at all. They name them as a battery of tests(MOT) to exclude any hidden pathologies. End of the day patients in US will end up with a hefty Medical bill. I am aware the same practice is happening in back at home.
My learned friends, let me relate to you the saga behind the MD(Cey) and MRCP(Lond) controversy. Until the establishment of the PGIM in 1980, one had to possess the MD (Cey) and MRCP(Lond), to be appointed as a physician to the GHC. Some of those who had the MRCP but not the MD, who could not get a post at the GHC were "Pol" Weerasekera, Waas(brother of Prof.of Anatomy), et al. Nagaratnam had the MD but only MRCP(Glasg) and therefore could not come to GHC.
ReplyDeleteObstetricians had to have a FRCS in addition to the MRCOG, to be appointed to the DMH. Those with only the MRCOG ,had to settle for CSMH. This was because the University had a Gynaecology ward at GHC and if you did not have the FRCS, could not be appointed to GHC.
Neurologist, George Ratnavale used to refer to the MRCP London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, respectively. He said that those who sat for MRCP (Lond) and passed did not have to sit for the Edin and Glasgow exams. Those who failed the London exam, sat for the other two.
After the PGIM was established in 1980, the recognised degree became the new MD. People like us who obtained the MRCP prior to 1980. belonged to the "eligible for Board Certification category".
Bora, I have been to Stella's house for dinner parties many times. She lived in a cul-de-sac ,off Horton Place. Her neighbours were Thanaballs, Tony Gabriel, the onco-surgeon, George Ratnavale and ENT Rasa. When Stella died, her family members invited me to be a pall bearer.
Sometimes orthopaedic Rasa was disturbed in the middle of the night, by patients complaining of earache. Orthopaedic Rasa used to get very angry and give an earful to the caller. who had to consult ENT Rasa, for a damaged ear drum, due to the loud abuse, the next morning!
Friends, our college, the SLCP ,is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. To commemorate the event, many activities have been organised. Senior Paediatricians have been invited to deliver a series of lectures, titled "Vintage Paediatric Pearls". I would be delivering the first lecture, via Zoom, on Sunday the 19th of September 2021, at 7.00 pm. My topic for the lecture is "The Importance of History Taking and Clinical Signs in Modern Medicine". You are also invited to join. If you are interested , I could send you the link via email.
Lama
Deleteyou are very correct in your evaluation of the post graduate degrees. I also returned to the island before the MD Anaesthesia exam was held so I was " eligible for Board Certification "
But those who returned later like Neelika Karunaratne , Palika Liyanage etc had to sit for the MD Sri Lanka to practice as Consultants even though they had passed the FRCA. What was worse is that the Board of Study Anaesthesia at that time wanted to make certain appointments like Cardiology, Medicine, as well as submitting a book of case discussions compulsory to be eligible to sit for the exam. I was on the Board at that time and managed to convince than that it was grossly unfair to do that .
The same applied for Opthalmalogy Our Zita who not
only had her FRCS but also had completed 3 years of SR appointment at none other than the Moore field Eye Hospital and obtained her HPT ( higher professional training ) Certificate had to sit for the M S Opthalmalogy Sri Lanka.
Randunna Corea who was in the 1st Pera batch was also asked to sit for the M S Sri Lanka though he had been holding a Professorial Appointment for many years. Naturally he got fed up and went back . He was loyal enough to our country however to
start a Scoliosis Program in Sri Lanka and I had the privilege of initiating the program with him at SJGH. The first ever Scoliosis Correction in Sri Lanka was done on the 26th of December 1987 . I can even remember the name of the patient Daena Fernando a pretty teenager from Wellawatta who had been constrained in a full plaster jacket for several years... the only treatment available in SL .
You will be amazed to hear that we have done over 100 cases of surgery for Scoliosis just using the 2 week break Randunna used to take twice a year . Just think what we missed on .. he would have arranged for an exchange program with British Surgeons and also paved the way for training for our post Graduates .
In spite of all the restraints on our own doctors the government was hell bent on signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership with India allowing Indian Doctors to practice freely in SL. Thank goodness we were able to halt it . I the President SLMA at the time and with the effective backing of all the Professional Colleges were able to prevent this disaster ! It may interest you know that the moving force behind this was the presently newly appointed CB Governor !!!!
Lama, you have described the way how London-MRCP was given an elevated status compared to the other two colleges. We who were under the Colonial rule thought whatever that came from England was far superior. I am sure you are aware that Royal Colleges in Edinburgh was established well before London. The Examiners were thought to be more sympathetic to foreign graduates in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The establishment of one College(UK) was based in order to get that superiority complex. Those who failed in all the UK Colleges sat Irish exams and they were recognised in UK.I remember Dr Nagaratnam, well. He was appointed to take over Dr Medonza's vacancy and he was one of them who signed my application for MRCP Part 1.He did a survey in Hambantota area to detect the incidence of Thalassaemia along with a British Consultant, when I was MOH Hambantota.
ReplyDeleteHi Sanath
ReplyDeletei remember meeting you at one of Dr Stella's dinner parties in the late nineteen eighties.Dr J.B.Pieris, Revo Drahaman and Tony Sylva were there too.I would not have been surprised if the orthopod Rasa had to go to ENT Rasa,with a sore throat after shouting at the patient with the earache.
I would very much like to listen to your talk. On Sunday the 19th Sept I have to attend an alms giving at the London Buddhist Vihare in Chiswick which is an hours drive from my place.Could you please send me the link,I will do my best to return home in time for your presentation.Prof Raj gave a talk on a similar topic,not sure of the exact title but it sounded like "The tale the history tells"
Chulaka Amerasinghe,the former Royal cricket captain and his brother,who are Dr Stella's grand nephews inherited the Horton Place house.
Hi Nihal once again you have delighted us with your brilliant sketches of brush and pen.
ReplyDeleteIf I may add a few comments re your " Subjects "
Prof Milroy Paul everyone agrees was a thorough gentleman, a good Clinician and Teacher . But sadly his surgical skills left much to be desired. As a Junior Anaesthetist watching him operate on tiny babies left me virtually biting my nails with anxiety ! Having said that I respect him as a great teacher, as I have said before he made us learn and demonstrate various bandages and splints from the Red Cross First Aid book during the appointment which has come in very handy.
U S Jayawiickrana the perfect gentleman, always impeccably attired, soft spoken and a brilliant clinician . I had the pleasure of being a fellow Consultant with him way back in 1981 maybe when he was on the verge of retirement . We used to watch him get down from his car, put on his Jacket ,adjust his tie and cuffs perfectly and then walk to the Consultants Lounge... Always with a smile.
I do agree with all of you regarding Thanaballs ( as he was refered to ) that he was a good teacher . My only exposure to him was 4th year Ward classes. And then ofcourse as a examiner at the Finals.
I do remember an incident which was rather harrowing at the time. Thanaballs as you remember had a habit of going on and on about details in the patients history that had been presented to him.
Cigar ( Sudath J ) who was standing behind him was bored to tears and was rocking back and forth on his heels... Probably to keep himself awake. Anyway he suddenly lost his balance and almost fell flat on his face , and catching my eyes ... I was standing directly in front of TB ... Cigar grinned and I naturally grinned back. TB suddenly stopped his monologue and screamed "you you laughing like a jackass get out of my class !!" Every body was stunned because no one could understand what he was talking about. He waved a finger at me and kept screaming Get Out Get Out ... I had no option but to leave not understanding what great crime I was guilty of. Dr Waidyasekera who was the SHO sent me a message the next day and advised me to apologize to TB . He was very sympathetic as he saw the whole incident.I remember him saying TB is a examiner at the Finals . He tends to remember these things so better make peace with him. So the next day I waited outside the ward and with fear and trembling apologized for a crime that I was not aware I had committed. TB was gracious enough , and at the Finals Exam he was OK with me .
Dr D J Attygala I remember with great fondness as a gentle, clever dedicated physician.
Prof Valentine was a darling. I was truly fond of him . I remember the first time I saw him cycling to Medical College on his push bike I was stunned ! Such a humble man inspite of him being so brilliant.I got to know him more closely when he performed at the Doctor's Concert of the SLMA year after year on my invitation for about 4 years delighting us with his dexterity on the key board .
,
Hi Suri
DeleteThank you for taking the time to delight us with your memories and also for those kind comments. We are ever so fortunate to have yourself, Sanath Lama and Chira taking an active part in our batch forum. Many of us who emigrated lost the exposure and close contact with our teachers and colleagues in SL while you had them in your professional lives for several years and even decades. Hence you have an archive of memories of so many people who were close to us in our lives. This with your wonderful ability to recall makes your personal memories so fascinating to read. We knew our clinical teachers as our revered guru but knowing them as professional equals is more revealing as you have shown.
Your story of Dr RST reminds me of his short fuse when I did his 2 month appointment at the beginning of my clinical years. Although I managed to move away from his line of fire, some were not so fortunate feeling the full force of his wrath.
I know Randy Corea as a fine Orthopod and a gentleman. I do recall your wonderful tribute to him in the newspaper when you mentioned his excellent baila dancing.
As for Dr USJ, I regret my inability to meet him after I left SL.
Bora,I remember Chulaka very well. He captained our team in 1983,and we won the big match by 10 wickets. Chulaka opened the batting and bowling and Rochana Jayawardene scored a brilliant unbeaten 145 runs. Your captain was K Wijegunawardene, who later played for the country.
ReplyDeleteI knew Chulaka's maternal uncle Chanaka (R C de Silva) quite well as well as Darrell Lieversze, both of whom opened bowling in 1962 and 1963;both were my classmates.
Hi Sanath
DeleteDr Stella met the Royal College Head Master socially and complained to him that Chulaka was spending too much time on cricket and neglecting his studies.She was very surprised by his reply "Dr De Silva each year there are more than hundred boys from Royal entering the university but only one boy can be the Royal College cricket captain.
Chanaka was a class mate of mine at STC Prep along with Siri Cassim,Nalin Nanna Ravi Wicks and Nimal Paranavitharana.They entered Royal in 1953 and you joined in 1954.You must have got a double promotion at some stage.
You have an excellent memory and a "Wisden" on the Royal Thomian history,are you sure Chanaka played in 1963?.I think he was overage by then.
Suri, I remember Randunne Corea very well. We were together at the King Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in 1987/88, when I was working there in the capacity of Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology. Asoka Dissanaike was also there teaching physiology. One of the daughter twins of Randunne, married Janaka Wijetunga's nephew.
ReplyDeleteHi Lama and Nihal
ReplyDeleteRandunna was certainly exceptional. He used to call himself the Orthopaedic Dust Bin always taking on patients who had either been either miss managed or refused surgery by other orthopods. He had immense patience and was a perfectionist.. aiming always for a perfect alignment . He would keep on trying even at 3 am to get a perfect reduction . His patience was unbelievable .He did a Thompson's Prosthesis on my 80 old mother and she was out of bed the next day... With no limp and very little post op pain.
It was so sad that he died alone in his room in Saudi of a massive MI and was not discovered for many hours. I know his twin daughters Ranmali and Namali both stunningly beautiful girls inheriting their looks from both parents.
Suri
DeleteI agree, Randy was special. I met him socially and never professionally. We were both sitting for the University entrance examination and met at a party. Since then we met up from time to time due to family connections. His wit, humour and simplicity stood out. Randy's demise was a great loss and brought much sadness. RIP
I have managed to trace all apart from the following. At this stage, I just want to know which country they are based at the moment. Please help if you can by passing your info to me here on the Blog comment section OR by making enquiries with you friends The names are :=
ReplyDeleteANANDAPPA, MARIE ANDRADI,
BALASUBRAMANIAM, NADARAJAH
DOSS, A.E.J.
NAVARATNASINGHAM, G.J.
PERERA, M.G.F. (FABIAN)
RAMANATHAN, U.C.
SATHANANDAN,S.
SELLIAH, S. PADMANATHAN
SELVADURAI, S
SIVANANDA, P.
THIRAVIAM, P.
VISWANATHAN, M.
Fabian Perera is in Auckland. When Dr Anandaraja passed away Rohini had a message of condolence from him. I have no contact details of Fabian
DeletePupa Sivananda is in Florida and he phoned me recently; he does not have an email address. I am in touch with his sister Dr. Manga and I sent her email address to Mahendra. Eugene Anandappa may know about Marie's whereabouts.
ReplyDeleteWhat about C Maheswaran; he is in Florida or Hawaii
Hi Speedy
ReplyDeleteIs G J Perera Gwendolyn ? If so I have already sent you details on WhatsApp. She is Herath now
We had a Rita Perera the largest group by that Surname. I can't remember having her name in the batch Directory.
ReplyDeleteIt is Rita de Silva. Several years ago, she worked in the Gampaha Hospital as a Paediatrician. She was a lover of dogs.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lama for the correction. Rita was one of the few girls who had chats with me during the gruelling, five years.
DeleteI may be wrong but I thought she was Rita Silva , not De Silva(now Alwis).
DeleteBora, You are correct. Chanaka played in 1961 and 1962 and not in 1963, when Sugi Rajaratnam and S S Kumar opened the bowling for us. Yes, I entered RC from RPS in 1954. I topped the batch of about 140 students, in the 4th Form examination in December 1957 and got a double promotion and caught up with Nalin, Chanaka, Sidath, Ravi Wicks, Siri Cassim et al, who entered RC in 1953. I was awarded the Gate Mudaliyar Tudor Rajapakse Memorial Prize, which was a book voucher for Rs. 100.00, which was a lot of money at that time. I went to the Caves bookshop in the Fort and bought a pile of books. My father was so happy, that he offered any prize that I wished for. I went to Hunters in the Pettah and purchased a Raleigh bicycle with all the possible extras, such as a dynamo and lamp, bell, speedometer, milometer, stand etc. When I rode it to school, my friends used to line up for rides. I used it until I entered the Colombo Medical Faculty and graduated to a Vespa scooter, which I bought for Rs. 2050.00. I used it for about seven years and after becoming a Lecturer in 1969, sold it for Rs.4000.00 and bought a Triumph Herald car for R.10,000.00. After I went abroad that car was bought by Basil Abeysekere for Rs. 17,000.00, in 1972.
ReplyDeleteExactly 10 years later I topped the batch again in 1967!
I am certain the Raleigh bike was sold at a price of RS. 50.00, Rudge and Humber were among the top brand. My father bought a Rudge bike for my elder brother and cycled 8 miles to attend High School.
DeleteI have tried to confine myself to comments only on the Teachers mentioned by Nihal. Of course there are many more great ones we have discussed before. Just a small observation is the gradual change of attire of our Consultant Teachers. The first generation we came across generally wore a full suit and ties (few exceptions like Rolly Jayawardena) but as the "youngsters" began taking up posts, the norm was very shirt and tie; the jacket was missing. Those who wore "full suit" must have suffered silently in the stifling heat of Colombo, but appearance was important as appearance=respect given. I cannot recall any Consultant wearing a white over coat although Prof Rajasuriya may have done. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI am certain that USJ wore the popular white over coat until he got stuck with the full kit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was an intern with Raj, a British medical student came to do an elective appointment. She used to wear mini skirts, as it was the fashion at that time. Raj, very discreetly requested me to tell her to wear an overcoat for the rest of her attachment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was an Intern House Officer with Raj, a patient known to George Weerasiri, who was the Medical Superintendent, was admitted under my care in an unconscious state. I did a RBS, gave a bolus shot of 50% dextrose and he came round. GW insisted that I should catheterize the patient, which I flatly refused, much to his dissatisfaction.
Thereafter, he insisted that I should wear a white overcoat which I refused to do, as my other colleagues were not wearing one. After I crossed over to PRA's unit, a relative of Weerasiri's was admitted under my care and he very sheepishly asked me to allow visitors to visit this patient, outside hours, which I agreed to. Later on ,I was told by a clerk in his office that there was a letter from GW addressed to me, extending my internship for not wearing an overcoat. This letter was not delivered because he made up with me after his relative was admitted.
I started wearing an overcoat in 1976, when our elder son Shamin was born, so as not carry bugs from LRH to Wellawatte.
Mahendra, you are quite correct, her name is Rita Silva and later Rita de Alwis
ReplyDelete