Suriyakanthie Amarasekera honoured
by Mahendra "Speedy" Gonsalkorale
I am proud to announce a great honour awarded
to our distinguished Batchmate Suriyakanthie Amarasekera
Suri, as we affectionately call her, was awarded the SLMA Fellowship at the Inauguration of the 137th Anniversary Annual International Medical Congress, held on August 16th,17th, and 18th at the Hotel Galadari. The theme was “Ensuring Health Equity in Challenging Times.”
The following is a very brief synopsis of her
illustrious career.
She resigned from Government Service and
went to the UK for Postgraduate studies in Anesthesia in 1975, where she received the Final Fellowship in 1977. She worked as a Senior Registrar in Anaesthesia at Kings
College Hospital London and obtained the Certificate of Higher Professional
Training by 1981.
On her return to Sri Lanka in 1981, she rejoined Government Service. Her first appointment was as a Supernumerary Consultant Anaesthetist in the Colombo Group of Hospitals for two years and then one year as a Consultant Anaesthetist at Base Hospital Panadura. She then worked at Sri Jayawardanepura General Hospital Kotte from its inception in 1985 until her retirement in 2009 as a Consultant Anaesthetist.
Among her important posts were President of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Sri Lanka in 1996 and 1997. In 2006, she became President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), only the sixth woman to hold this high office and the second Anaesthetist in 119 years.
Among her many achievements were the
setting up of a Scholarship for Children who lost one or both parents in the
Tsunami Disaster of Dec 2004, starting the Programme for Corrective Surgery for
Scoliosis jointly with the late Prof Randunne Corea, being awarded the S E
Seneviratne Award for the best Free Paper at the College of Surgeons Annual
Sessions in 1992, training and setting up the first ever Cardiac Arrest Team in
S L in 1985 and introducing Caudal Epidurals to the practice of Paediatric
Anaesthesia in 1987.
A truly commendable life combining a professional career of wholehearted and energetic dedication with bringing up a family as a loving wife and mother. She drew her strength from her strong religious belief as a Christian.
We are truly proud of you Suri.
Thank you Speedy for the trouble you have taken. I truly feel humbled and grateful for any service I was privileged to render to my profession and my beloved mother land. Warm regards Suri
ReplyDeleteSuri
ReplyDeleteHeartiest congratulations for obtaining the SLMA Fellowship ! Well done !
We batchmates, are all proud of your achievements.
Let me add that Suri also received an Outstanding Health Professional award from the SLMA in 2012. I remember this as I too received this award.
I also remember that we both received awards at the Felicitation ceremony of the Methodist College OGA.
Chira
Thank you Chira .
DeleteYes I remember the proud moment when you and I as well as Dr Leela Karunaratne , were awarded the Outstanding Health Professional Award in 2012 . All loyal Old Girls of Methodist College. I was so touched when our dear Alma Mater felicitated us. We Scatter Light !
Suri
Hi Speedy,
ReplyDeleteI think you may be interested to know how the SLMA / CMAAO scholarship started. After the Tsunami disaster of Dec. 2004, the Confederation of Medical Associations of Asia and Oceana ( CMAAO) wanted to help Sri Lanka in some way. Their idea was to put up a building that was used for Health Care that had been destroyed by the disaster ,with a plaque naming the donor.
Fortunately I had attended the Annual Congress held in Hong Kong in 2006 and was able to persuade the Council that it would be more meaningful to set up a Scholarship for children affected by the Tsunami . I remember making an impassioned speech , ending by saying that these children will be a living monument for the generosity of the CMAAO. Fortunately several powerful countries voted in favour and so the Scholarship was born.
You'll be glad to know that except for a teenage girl who eloped, the remaining 24 persevered in thier studies / or vocational training and are gainfully employed. They are serving in a wide variety of fields - Motor mechanics, Heavy duty Vehicle Operators, Accountants, Diploma
holders in Graphic designing, Diploma holders in Beauty Culture, Nursery Teachers, Soft ware Engineers etc As all the initial beneficiaries had completed their studies,we converted the Scholarship to benefit Children affected by the Easter Bombing of 2019 so the work goes on .
Suri
Hi Nihal,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your kind words. You are too generous with your complements .. You do have lovely way of expressing yourself !
Yeah those were the days.. at good old KCH. They simply couldn't understand how we could have the same strange Sur Name and not be related . Yes it's a pity you couldn't make it for any of our reunions in Sri Lanka. Now with our advancing years and having various health and social issues, having a reunion of such magnitude seems very unlikely .
Warm regards Suri
Hi Suri
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being awarded the fellowship of the SLMA,having read what you have achieved you thoroughly deserve it.
Harshi has told me on several occasions the tremendous contribution you have made towards the training and development of anaesthetists in Sri Lanka.Well done, we are very proud of you.
Thank you very much Bora . You are very kind. I remember how you enriched the Annual Scientific Sessions of the SLMA in 2006 with your participation, delivering a super plenary lecture on Blood Transfusions. Your beautiful wife Harshi of course has been such a source of strength to the College of Anaesthesiologists , always taking such an active role in our Annual Scientific Sessions. I'll always remember her talking on " The fashions in Anaesthesia".
DeleteLove and Best wishes to both of you .
Suri
Congratulations Suri - Wonderful !
ReplyDeleteYou have earned every accolade you have received, for your diligence and dedication to whatever task you’ve undertaken all your life . “ Well done my good and faithful servant” says Matthew 25:23. May the Good Lord continue to bless you. Love - Rohini
Dear Rohini ,
DeleteThank you so much. Though you are out of sight you are often on my mind. I remember how our JC christened you to the" Pocket Edition", and your tantalising , graceful Manipuri dance at a fund raising concert of the SCM when I was the Social Secretary.. you looked so beautiful..
Lots of love . Suri
Suri, my close friends Mahesh and Niroshini Nirmalan (both Professors) contributed to the SLMA event where you were honoured.
ReplyDeleteHi Speedy
DeleteSorry I didn't meet them. I only went for the Inauguration Ceremony. I find it difficult to sit through lecture after lecture now. I find I loose my concentration.
Shaan however did take part in the Doctor's Concert singing
" If were a rich man" from Fiddler on the Roof
Suri
Congratulations Suri and this from a fellow Anesthesiologist - in New York city- ( Anesthetist in the UK ). I know the hard work you would have put in days and NIGHTS, plus the role of being a mum . Knowing you I am sure you would have excelled in that role too.
DeleteIndra Anandasabapathy
Thank you Indra.
DeleteComing back to SL after rigorous training at Kings College Hospital London, and then securing a Consultant post at a brand new hospital in Sri Lanka gave me the unique opportunity of setting up new services.
Setting up and training the first ever Cardiac Arrest team , introducing Caudal epidurals to the practice of paediatric anaesthesia , antacid prophylaxis to Obstetric Anaesthesia, pioneering Scoliosis Surgery without having the luxury of having a Direct arterial monitor , but providing hypotensive anaesthesia using a arterial line and an anaeroid guage to monitor the pressure, are some things that I had the privilege of performing.
As you can imagine there were many obstacles, and even outright opposition to me , but thank God I had the courage to persevere .
It's great the appreciated and I truly feel humbled.
Thank you once again.
Suri
Kumar
ReplyDeleteDear Suri,
Congratulations on being awarded the fellowship of the SLMA; a signal honour which is richly deserved. Your service and achievements have embellished our group of ‘62 and indeed the Srilankan medical profession. You have, as described in your school song , scattered the light in many spheres.
I’m proud to share part of your heritage. My mother was a student at Methodist College Kollupitiya, until the age of thirteen when she was orphaned. Your mother was a respected and much loved teacher at STC, the school by the sea. These two institutions , must have influenced you in no small measure.
Your confrère in the Scoliosis project Randunne Corea was a class mate at STC. I, mostly remember him for his tales of horseback riding. As a leisure activity it was restricted to the privileged. We , who hadn’t even ridden a bicycle listened, open mouthed.
N.S. Jayasinghe physician at the Jayawardanepura hospital too was a classmate in the College forms(HSC). Although very bright, he was self effacing. Kanthi‘s brother in law HHR Samarasinghe was physician and later chairman of that establishment. I’m told that he ran a tight ship in both spheres.
You must write your reminiscences; you are an accomplished writer. I recently re-read ND’s “ journey in radiology”. Absorbing to say the least. Your journey in Anaesthesia would be captivating too. Some of the anaesthetists, I encountered , professionally , like Berty Perera, Thistle Jayawardane and Dr Wickremasinghe in Galle influenced us all. They were superb professionals, calm even in extreme crises. and gentlemen to the core.
Kumar
ReplyDeleteDear Mahen,
Thank you for informing us of Suri’s honour, and also posting the lovely photos. She looks much the same as in Medical School. Reminded me of Shakespeare’s immortal lines on Cleopatra.” Age shall not wither………”
Those of us who have aged not so gracefully, must console ourselves with Rumi’s words that beauty is only a borrowed garment. It’s a beautiful poem on ageing which must be read in full and slowly.
Suri with a few of us including Senarath and late CD would board the ancient but reliable red double decker buses on our journey to the “Es Wattuwa”, the Eye Hospital. The Wellawatte and the Bambalapitiya mobs would join us a little later in the upper deck with much noise but no fury. Boys and girls would be segregated in accordance with the custom of the day. Loud laughter and unceasing chatter would continue unabated , until a sudden silence would descend, like a curtain shortly before the journey’s end, in anticipation of the ordeals that lay ahead.We would then trudge to the physiology block on most days to listen to the dulcet tones and the subtle humour of Professor Koch. Most of it went over our unenlightened heads, but we laughed or tittered and stamped our feet at appropriate moments.
It reminds me of the famous encounter between Einstein and Charlie Chaplin. Apparently CC was the only person in Hollywood that E wanted to meet. E says “ what I most admire is your universality. You don’t say a word, yet the world understands you”
Chaplin replied “ True .But your glory is even greater!. The whole world admires you, even though they don’t understand a word you say “
Such is genius.
Dear Bunter
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your compliments. I feel I don't deserve half of them .
Yes it was quite a challenge to juggle duties as a full time professional.. often having to rush into hospital at all hours ( unlike you lucky pathologists!) and meet the demands of two child ren as well as continue in my interest in singing and dancing...but the effort was fully worthwhile. Now living at a much slower pace I often wonder how I managed.
I can affirm that " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint"
No I was not a speaker at the SS of the SLM A . I no longer take an active role... we have to step down and give the young ones a chance.
Thank you for your friendship that has stood the test of time, and for keeping in touch
Love Suri
‘Suri it is a great honour to have been awarded the Fellowship of the SLMA. You have wholeheartedly given your services to the community. My heartiest congratulations to you.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes
Dhushy
Thank you very much Dushi. You are very kind.
ReplyDeleteSuri
Congratulations Suriyakanthi, very well deserved! Sorry for the late response.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lama. This seems to be a new trend of the SLMA.... Earlier they used to award an Honorary Life Membership which I always thought was unusual as all of us are Life Members ! Apparently the honours Committee has decided to award a Fellowship to all Past Presidents in turn !
DeleteSuri