Revisit one of Lucky’s very early posts- in Sept 2012.

A glance at one of Lucky’s very early posts. This was in Sept 2012.

https://colombomedgrads1962.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-college-of-community-physicians-of.html#comment-form

I publish this as it discusses the origin of the Blog and also, it will be good to update notable achievements by colleagues.

The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka honours Lakshman Abeyagunawardene

When I started this blog in March 2011, it was primarily meant to be a part of the build-up towards the 50^th Anniversary Reunion that we successfully concluded earlier this month. Whenever possible, I have also highlighted noteworthy achievements of our batch colleagues since then. This is what I have recorded so far.

1.      Sanath Lamabadusuriya – SLMA President 2011. 

2.      Chirasri Mallawaratchi Jayaweera Bandara - Dr. P. Sivasubramaniam Memorial Oration 2011.

 3.      Pramilla Kannangara Senanayake – Founder of Educate a Child Trust (EACT). 

4.      Mahendra Gonsalkorale – Prof. S.R. Kottegoda Memorial Oration 2011. 

5.      Suriyakanthi Karunaratne Amarasekara and Chirasri Mallawarchchi Jayaweera Bandara – among recipients of SLMA  ‘Outstanding Health Professional’ Awards to mark International Women’s Day 2012.

6.      N. D. Amerasekara – Recipient of a special plaque awarded by his old school Wesley College in September 2012 for his services as Editor of the school website ˜Double Blue Internationalâ”.

7.      Lareef Idroos – Re-elected President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America, West Coast in March 2012. He was first elected to the post in February 2010. 

I am now pleased to share the news that I was admitted as a Fellow of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka at the Inauguration of its Annual Scientific Sessions on Thursday 20^th September 2012. This is in recognition of services rendered to Public Health/Community Medicine.  

The following Citation was read by Dr. Santhushya Fernando.

Dr. Lakshman Abeyagunawardene was born in Hikkaduwa on October 22^nd, 1941 at the height of the Second World War. He was educated at Ananda College, Colombo, and passed the University Entrance examination held in December 1960. Having entered the Science Faculty of the University of Ceylon to follow the 1^st MB course in June 1961 when such course was conducted for the last time, he was then admitted to the Colombo Medical Faculty the following year in June 1962. Dr. Abeyagunawardene graduated with the MBBS degree in March 1967. Following his Internship at the General Hospital, Colombo South, he worked in the clinical field for two years before opting voluntarily for a career in public health long before being called up for mandatory service as a Medical Officer of Health. Starting as an MOH at Matara in 1970, he later joined the Health Education Bureau (HEB) of the Ministry of Health before leaving for the United States on a World Health Organization (WHO) Fellowship in March 1974.

He specialised in public health and health education and obtained the degree of Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Berkeley, USA in 1975. On his return, Dr. Abeyagunawardene continued his service in the HEB as a Health Education Specialist. In 1986, he was certified as a consultant in community medicine by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) following conferment of the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) in community medicine (by research) by the University of Colombo.

While serving the Health Education Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abeyagunawardene was in charge of the Community Health Education sub unit and in later years, the Training sub unit as well. In that capacity, he directed the highly successful Family Health Education Action Programme mobilising village level volunteers for health action throughout the length and breadth of the country. Apart from his involvement in his own research studies, Dr. Abeyagunawardene has supervised research projects and dissertations of MD and M SC candidates of the PGIM. Dr. Abeyagunawardene has the distinction of coordinating the M SC course in Health Education when the PGIM doors were thrown open to non- medical and non-dental health professionals. He has also served as a member of the Board of Study in Community Medicine of the PGIM over an extensive period until he left government service in 1990.

Having served the Government of Sri Lanka for 23 years, he opted for early retirement to join the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1990. As a National Professional Officer in UNICEF, Colombo, he continued to work closely with his national counterparts, notably the Health Education Bureau. Apart from other duties, Dr. Abeyagunawardene was responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of UNICEF-funded mass media programmes to promote oral rehydration therapy, iodised salt, child immunisation, and breastfeeding under the Baby Friendly Hospitals Initiative.

Dr. Abeyagunawardene has also served the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Commonwealth Secretariat of London as a short term consultant with assignments in Indonesia and Malaysia. In 1998, he retired prematurely from the UN to emigrate to the United States where he served the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control as a Health Education Specialist for a further period of ten years before final retirement in January 2009. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control recognised Dr. Abeyagunawardene’s services when he was presented with the Award for Excellence in 2006 for his contribution in the state’s highly successful Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programme.

WE LIVE IN VERY INTERESTING TIMES. Sent by Suri Amarasekera

 WE LIVE IN VERY INTERESTING AND FUNNY TIMES

Author unknown  Sent in by Suri Amarasekera. I thought it was worth sharing. Thanks, Suri

1. We live in times where we see many humans but not humanity.

2. We live in times where the rich have more rooms than children, and the poor have more children than rooms.

3. We live in times where smartphones bring you closer to those who are far but distance you from those who are closer.

4. We live in times where we open Facebook more than Holy Book;

5. We live in times where a single mother can look after 10 children, but 10 children can't look after a single mother;

6. We live in times where the rich walk miles to digest food, while the poor walk miles to search for food;

7. We live in times where women are paid to be naked, while others have no clothes to cover their nakedness.

8. We live in times where our contact lists are huge, but our relationships are poor

9. We live in times where our possessions are more, but our appreciation is less;

10. We live in times where we know how to earn a good living but somehow forget how to live good;

11. We live in times where many know the price of everything but not the value of anything

Indeed, we live in a strange world. May God help and Guide Us

Just had to share this 

International Tennis Became Much More Interesting Last Weekend! Srianee Dias

International Tennis Became Much More Interesting Last Weekend!

Srianee Dias

 Since much has been written on our blog about cricket, I thought I should start a discussion about tennis, probably the only sport I have played over the years. (I have to say I am always impressed at the encylopedic cricket knowledge displayed by our friends in the comments.) 

My own tennis playing was sporadic, and began at Ladies’ College when we played just for fun.  I did not represent the school, but played with my friends in the heat of the noonday sun during our lunch break.  We came breathless and sweaty back to the classroom, but no one complained!  Later on as an adult I took some lessons, played with friends, and improved my form enough to earn a few compliments from my mother, who had been on the tennis team at Princess of Wales College in Moratuwa.  Several years later when I played with my then 10 year old grandson, all I kept hearing was “You have to run, Grandma!”  Now I occasionally hit the ball against a backboard at a nearby park, but mostly I enjoy watching the sport being played at the highest level. 

I was paying a lot more attention to what was going on at Wimbledon this year than in previous years, because there were many good, talented young players attempting to topple the man who has been dominating the sport these last few years, Novak Djokovic; especially after Roger Federer retired and Rafa Nadal was sidelined by injuries and surgery.  The young man who captured my imagination was 20 year old Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, with his easy smile, amazing repertoire of strokes, and quick, instinctive movements on the court.  Will he be able to dethrone Novak on the grass courts at Wimbledon, which are notoriously unpredictable?

I had been a Rafa Nadal fan for many years, and aside from his heritage, Carlos’ sportsmanship and polite demeanor reminded me of Rafa.  Rafa always controlled his emotions during matches and smiled (or cried) only when the tension was released at the end.  It was fun to watch Carlos’ emotional, joyful outbursts  when he won a critical point.

Yes, Djokovic is a great player, and seemed to be in peak form this year, but strangely and somewhat irrationally I had never warmed up to him right from the beginning of his career.  His rather arrogant behaviour on the court was always a turnoff.  Humility was not his strong point!  (I admit, he seems to have improved over time.) I remember him taking long ‘medical’ breaks when a match was not proceeding favorably for him.  I felt that this was designed to disrupt his opponent’s concentration.

I decided to put everything on hold and watch the Wimbledon men’s final on TV last Sunday, when Carlos Alcaraz took on Novak Djokovic.  I was amply rewarded- it was an absolute treat to watch!  Both players were fabulous, the 36 year old vs. the 20 year old!  Just when you thought a particular shot was a sure winner it was returned by the opponent!  It could have gone either way.  But, Carlos prevailed and didn’t allow his nerves to take over, unlike at the French Open.  When it was over, Novak, to his credit, was full of praise for Carlos.  He marvelled at the way Carlos had mastered playing on grass in a fairly short span of time.  He said that Carlos had a combination of the skills of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic himself.

Here’s to the new Wimbledon Gentleman’s Singles champion! May he remain healthy and injury free, and continue to entertain us with brilliant tennis for many more years.

THE FAREWELL -Kumar Gunawardane

Kumar Gunawardane

THE FAREWELL

Their final rendezvous,

In the dull desolate airport, 

The sun has set,

The sublime summer 

Has come to an end.

The lingering farewells; 

At last,

The “most beautiful words”, 

A hoarsely whispered,

I love you,

She replies, softly, 

I love you too.

The line inches forward, 

They hug again,

Please don’t cry,

He holds back his tears 

She says, I have no tears, 

My lips, my soul, my heart, 

Are all parched,

As dry as the desolate dismal desert sands.

The doors slam shut, 

The echo dies slowly,

So does a part of him, 

Forever.

The day had begun somberly, 

She had asked,

What do you like about me 

Everything, he wanted to say,

But the words remained unspoken.

A solitary ray

Illumines the darkened chamber. 

Still their hearts gallop,

In the blackness of despair.

A flurry

Packing, unpacking, 

The face flushed,

The raven tresses dishevelled 

He gazes, 

Mindlessly,

The Rubaiyat and the Gita Govinda are in. 

Between chemises,

Part of him will

Stay with her, always.

She bends,

Glimpses of the breasts, 

And the honey-hued skin, 

Peeping

above the soft white lace, 

He looks away reluctantly.

Driving down,

Their hearts are leaden, 

Like the wintry sky above 

The voices muted, 

Breath hushed

The skins cold.

Wordlessly,

They sip, their last coffee 

Together

Espresso for her, 

Cappuccino for him.

Words choke,

The parting has come too soon 

When will we meet again?

In the endless cycle 

Of Samsara

“Ever has it been, that love knows not its depth,

Until the hour of separation.”

Khalil Gibran

“Our most beautiful days,

We haven’t seen yet

And the most beautiful words, 

I wanted to tell you,

I haven’t said yet” 

Nazim Hikmet 

CHIRASRI JAYAWEERA BANDARA HONOURED

CHIRASRI JAYAWEERA BANDARA HONOURED

by Mahendra Gonsalkorale

It gives me great pleasure to announce the special award made to our Chira at the Wickramarachchi Health College Graduation Ceremony on June 27^th. It was presented by the German ambassador.

The award had the following statement.

“Your unwavering dedication and expertise have transformed the field of Ophthalmology and earned deserved International acclaim.

Your contribution is truly remarkable, and as a Nation, we Thank you.”

Looking back on her career, she went to the UK for postgraduate qualifications and, on returning to Sri Lanka in May 1979, was appointed  Consultant Eye Surgeon Kegalle Hospital. In October 1979,  she got a transfer to Kandy Hospital, where she worked for 5 years. In Oct 1984, she came to the Eye Hospital Colombo as Consultant Eye Surgeon. She retired in Feb 2001.

She has received many awards during her illustrious career.

The first from The  Lions Club in  1995/96  was an appreciation award for services rendered to the “Sight for thousand programme” and the second from The  Sri  Lanka  Eye  Donation  Society in  2004,  an award in recognition of the invaluable services rendered to the society for grafting human corneas for patients in Sri Lanka. 

She received a President’s Research award from Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunge in 2000. And In 2002, she was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka.

She delivered the Prestigious Dr P. Sivasubramaniam Memorial Oration on 3. 9.  2011.

On International Women’s day   8. 3. 2012, she received an Outstanding Health Professional Award  from the Sri  Lanka  Medical  Association.

Well done Chira, ColomboMedgrads1962 Salutes you.