MEDICAL BATCH 62 REMEMBRANCE DAY 2023 (6)

Fond Memories of Dear Departed Friends

Suriyakanthi Amarasekera

“Since I have no gold to give

And love alone can make  amends

My daily prayer is while I live

God make me worthy of my friends” 

Russel Paul was the most brilliant student in our batch. He came second in the merit list at the 2^nd M. B. B. S.  exam (Navam Chinniah was first) and had to sit as No 2 for Pathology lectures under the stern eye of Path Cooray ( who made us sit according to merit order instead of alphabetical order as had been the practice for Physiology). Though he was so bright with an impressive Academic background being the son of a Professor in the Science Faculty, Paul was never stuck up or proud. He would often interrupt his own studies to patiently explain any difficult subject, which we ordinary mortals found difficult to understand.

Dawne (de Silva ) Paul  Her statuesque figure earned her the nickname “Mother Lanka.” Dawn cut a striking figure with her doe eyes and beautiful Rapunzel hair. She was a worthy partner for Russel, and theirs was one of the enduring romances that began in the Block. They were a perfect match complementing each other both physically and in character.

Bernard Randeniya was renamed “ Claude Bernard” after a Physiology lecture, and the name stuck. Good looking, and always with a ready smile, he made an indelible impact at the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, where he served as its Director. His efforts to improve and uplift the hospital are legendary.

Niriella Chandrasiri, affectionately nicknamed “Johnny” was the only batchmate to reach the dizzy heights of Vice Chancellor of a university. He was the Vice Chancellor of the  University of Ruhuna as well as the Professor and Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine. I had the privilege of taking his talented son under my wing at Sri Jayawardanepura  Hospital when he did an  ENT Registrar appointment. I was so happy to help him in the near-impossible task of securing a place for his granddaughter in Grade III at Ladies College.

V Ganesan , “ Ganash” as he was known, was always impeccably dressed in colour-coordinated attire. He remained to look impressively young, while all of us were ageing, probably due to clean living and utter contentment in life. He always went the “second mile” for anybody who needed his help whether it be a patient or a colleague. As a  general practitioner at Horana, he was a caring healer and not just a healthcare provider to his patients who adored him. Ganash was no boring goody-goody. He was good company, with his liveliness and sense of fun.  It is ironic that Ganash  - a tea totaler succumbed to Hepatic failure, due to non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

L G D K Herath  He was another gentle giant. I had the amazing privilege of training him in Anaesthesia at the Sri Jayawadanepura General Hospital. He was quick to master the new skills required in the speciality. He scandalised the OT staff by calling me Suri (and not Madam like the other junior doctors), much to my amusement. I was honoured to act as his referee and secure him a job abroad.

V Kunasingham  Another soft-spoken, gentle batchmate. Kuna as he was known, sat next to me for Physiology lectures, and though initially shy, we soon became fast friends. He had a reputation of being an excellent Hockey player and played in the National Team as Goal Keeper. One indelible memory I have of him is how Dr Ratnavale made Kuna walk first with a stiff knee, then with an added foot drop demonstrating the Circumduction walk of a Hemiplegic.

Kiththa Wimalaratne was an outstanding cricketer, one of the university team that won the P Sarawaamuttu  Trophy in 1962-1963. I remember him courting a member of the fairer sex in our batch, often seen in the lobby of the Girls' Hostel.

Anna (Ponnambalam) Sathigunan  A rather serious young lady who entered Medical School from my Alma Mater, Methodist College, following a 6 months course at the university. Her younger sister Sundarie was my classmate. Anna spent many years working in Africa, where she contracted a rare infection which ultimately claimed her life. It was a joy to meet her again after almost 4 decades at the  2007 Batch reunion in Sri Lanka..

Sidath Jayanetti, or ” Cigar” as he was popularly known, was one of the battalion in our batch who entered Medical College from Royal. He had a reputation for being a skilful Rugby player. Cigar was always smart and full of fun and was a superb ballroom dancer. I vividly remember how his antics, standing behind Dr Thanaballs’ chair during a ward class, made me (standing right in front under the T balls’ nose) grin and annoyed him so much that he screamed at me, called me a jackass and actually threw me out of the class!  

Kamala (Nimalasuriya) de Silva a distinguished old girl of Vishaka, having held the post of Head Girl, was one of the cleverest girls in the batch, with a brilliant mind. Always friendly and charming, Kamali was one of the girls to get “hitched” to a Senior. She left Sri Lanka in 1967, even before she completed her internship.  It was great to meet her again after 45 years in 2012  at the Golden Jubilee of the Class of 1962 held in Sri Lanka at Hotel ChayaTrans Asia, Hikkaduwa. 

Srikantha is best remembered for his audacity. When asked, “ How much Potassium is there in the body?”  at a Physiology Signature, he responded by showing his hand with the thumb approximated to his fingers, “ This much!”. Then again at an Anatomy Signature, when asked to describe the course of the Ulnar Nerve, he replied, “ it  arises from the Brachial  Plexus, comes up to the elbow and goes this way “, and when the horrified demonstrator yelled, “ What ???”, he said, “no Sir it goes that way !”

Lucien Perera  A quiet, competent, popular Surgeon. It was always a pleasure to meet him at meetings where Anaesthetists and Surgeons interacted. Lucian attended most of our Batch Reunions. He was an enthusiastic member of the organising committee of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of our graduation, which was held in 2012 at the Jetwing Hotel in Negambo.      

Priya (Gunaratne) de Silva  Another Vishakian, fun-loving and friendly. My most enjoyable memory of Priya during my student days was both of us being chosen to represent Sri Lanka at an International Inter-University Table Tennis Meet in 1964. The first two rounds were held in Peradeniya. Though we got knocked out in the second round by a formidable Indian Team, we had loads of fun and were able to attend the Peradeniya Colours Night. Priya made an immense contribution to our country in her long period of service in the Department of Family Planning. Priya was an efficient, enthusiastic member of the organising committee of the  Batch Reunions held in Sri Lanka at the Lanka Oberoi in 1992, at the Coral Gardens Hotel in Hikkaduwa in 1997, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana in 2012. She was so brave facing the stress of repeated Chemotherapy. Her cheerfulness in the midst of pain and suffering was an inspiration to us.

Manohari Navaratnarajah   A soft-spoken good looking, charming batch mate. She never put on airs and graces though her father was a much respected distinguished Queens Counsel.

Suren Iyer A friendly, popular fun-loving batchmate who got on well with everyone. He had the heartbreaking experience of losing his beautiful older sister Seetha who was a 2nd-year Medical Student in Peradeniya, who died tragically of severe Ulcerative Colitis. I remember how the girls in our batch carried a large number of wreaths at the funeral procession at Borella, Kanatta. Suren used to keep a photograph  of Seetha in his wallet and show it to us, saying it was his girlfriend.  I have a vivid memory of Suren dancing nonstop at our batch reunion  in March 2017 at Jetwing Hotel, Negombo. It was shocking to learn of his sudden death due to a massive coronary in October that year.  

S Vedavanam  I remember his boyish good looks and ready smile. Veda made friends easily, always finding time for a chat and a joke.

Sardha (Jayatillaka) Wijeratne  Another Vishakian, always seen with Kusuma. Sardha was a pleasant, quiet unassuming girl. She and I were bridesmaids at Kusuma’s wedding. She was the Chief Medical Officer at the Tyre  Cooperation, Kelaniya. She had to face the heartbreaking experience of having her teenage son dying in her arms of a ruptured Cerebral  Aneurysm. She never recovered from this and became a recluse.

Sue (Ratnavale) Gunasekaram  joined us from the Peradeniya Batch in our 3^rd year. She was always poised and elegant with a charming friendly smile. Sue was that rare combination of Beauty and Brains. I remember singing in the choir at her wedding at St Paul’s Milagiriya when she was a breathtakingly beautiful bride.

Ranjith Kuruppu, another unforgettable, lovable friend. He sat one but next to me at Physiology lectures, and we soon became close friends.  We always had good fun. Ranjith was a popular GP in Negambo. He was always sporty and game for any fun. I remember how I dressed him to perform the Dance of the Seven Veils at our Ruby Anniversary in 2007 at the Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana, wearing a long-haired wig, a scanty top and a swaying skirt.. he did look tantalising and had our batch mates trying to guess his identity!

I was told that when we had a Batch Reunion at Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negambo, some of the boys wanted to drink “Pol” and not the imported Whiskey and Brandy provided by the hotel. Ranjith was able to procure the desired brew effortlessly as he was so popular and well-known In the area.

Razaque Ahamat  Another funloving friend with a heart as big as his waistline and an infectious laugh. He had us in stitches performing a Skit with Bora, at the Reunion in 1997 about a doctor-patient encounter. Rasaque performance of the role of a buxom female was hilarious!

H N Wickramasingha being a “W” and sitting so far away from me and never being in the same group for clinicals I had very little interaction with HN as a student.  He was a popular GP and, together with his lovely wife Nelum, was a regular participant of activities of the Doctors Wives Association, of which I was an associate member. I recall many annual dances, concerts, fundraising events, fashion shows etc . we attended over the years when we would sit together, being batch mates.

Kamini (Gunawardane) Ferdinando  I can confidently say that Kamini was one of the most gentle, sweetest girls in the batch. Always impeccably dressed,  I have never heard her being harsh or unkind. Kamini lived in fear in our third year, because her mother (who had left med school in her third year to get married)  had declared her intention of returning to be a student and joining our batch! I remember telling her that it would be sweet and create a record to have a mother and daughter as batchmates. But of course, it didn’t happen. We did our internship together at GHC with Dr E V Pieris.It was hard work because he was a demanding consultant, maintaining high standards, but we loved it as he was very fair and had a gift for making amusing comments with a deadpan face. He was such a good role model for us, teaching us not just the science of medicine, but also the art of healing.

I was delighted that her daughter Rohini and my daughter Manique were batch mates at the  Informatics Institute of Computer Studies ( affiliated to the Manchester Metropolitan University),  following a degree course in Information Systems. They participated in the annual Doctors Concert of the S L M A . for several years, calling themselves “ Doctors Daughters “ It was great to meet Kamini and Rahal at these functions.

Lakshman Weerasooriya  Lucky was the only male batchmate that I knew before I entered Medical College, being members of the Methodist Church in Mt Lavinia, I am so happy that Lucky and Ruvini joined us for all the reunions in Sri Lanka except the last one in 2017 when he was unable to attend due to ill health.