GREAT NEWS ABOUT OUR BATCHMATE GEORGE (FABIAN) PERERA
Rohini Anandarajah sent me this great news about Fabian. I
must confess that I have not had any contact with him since we passed out.
Rohini came into contact with him as shown in her email which I quote
now:-
“I spoke to him for the first time when he called me when
Ana passed away, which was nice of him. I have spoken to him very briefly since
then, but have not met him.
On learning about this award from friends, I phoned him to
congratulate and also obtain permission to forward it to you as you may wish to
post it in the blog”.
I have shown his photo from the Sig Book (M.G.F. Perera), and from a post in the Sri Lanka NZ paper which published an article on being honoured by the Whangarei Distric Council Civic Honours 2024.
Thank you very much, Rohini, for suggesting I post this excellent news on our Blog.
This is an article written by Marian Dissanayake – Whangarei. You can see why all of us should be very proud of him.
When George and his young wife first arrived in Hikurangi in 1977, it was a thriving community with flourishing businesses. Bit by bit, the town and the area declined with the closure of a number of businesses. George stayed on to serve the community during difficult times. He has the energy, empathy, commitment, and willingness to put the needs of others first.
It was a brave step for an immigrant doctor to bring his practice and family to the virtual backwater of Hikurangi in 1977 but apart from the village, he also served a wide rural area. He set up in council-owned premises, renting the surgery and the nearby house, which he now owns. Through his practice, church, and school affiliations, the Perera family quickly became an integral part of the community to the extent that Dr Perera is still in service today.
When the Hikurangi Business Association was formed in 2007, George was eager to support the work to uplift the community, especially the younger generation. The Hikurangi Business Association has given him the ‘Long Service Award’ in 2022 for the exceptionally long years of services he rendered to the community.
He has been the only GP in Whangarei and Hikurangi to find the time to make house calls to his patients in his own time, and on many occasions, he sacrificed his personal time and family holidays when he was unable to find a locum to care for his clients. Such is his dedication to the care and needs, particularly of the Maori community in Hikurangi.
As the doctor-patient service is personal, his dedicated service is not in the public domain. George is a very private person who prefers to avoid the spotlight. As a medical professional, his primary focus is on his patients’ well-being and care. Only the patients and their families can truly appreciate the extent of his dedication, commitment, and devotion to medical service. He effectively demonstrates the true meaning of the doctor-patient relationship that is built on trust, respect, and communication. He has also remained a steadfast pillar of support for those in need of medical attention at any time of the day.
George is a highly skilled, extremely knowledgeable, and compassionate doctor who consistently displays and promotes the highest ethical standards in his profession. He has a reputation for being extra caring and helpful with children and vulnerable patients, especially the elderly. He selflessly gives his time and is a dedicated medical professional who is committed to the health and social well-being of the Hikurangi community. The pastoral care he provides goes far beyond the expectations of a rural GP. His exceptional work ethic and dedication make him stand out among his peers.
In the recent past, civil unrest caused many families to leave Sri Lanka to find a peaceful life in New Zealand. Establishing life in a new country and culture with young children is not easy. George helped these families by looking after their economic, health, and social well-being by being a fatherly figure to the young families.
His support extends far beyond the realms of medical care, encompassing various aspects of social and emotional well-being, thus fostering a sense of belonging and unity in the community, especially among new residents.
Overall, George has provided 50 years of medical service in
New Zealand, of which 47 are in Hikurangi. For this, we honour him.
This was wonderful news! Many congrats Fabian (George). Shows the value of our blog in keeping us informed of the great achievements of our very special Batch.
ReplyDeleteMahen, You have been super efficient in organizing this, and additional information you have gathered from news papers etc so well, no sooner than you received them . You are wonderful to manage these so well for the benefit of the entire batch. Thank you very much. Cheers
ReplyDeleteFabulous news about our own Fabian. Thank you Dear Rohini & speedy. Took me a little while to recollect who George is. But soon his face i remembered well Congratulations to Fabian a true member of our profession. long may he continue in his chosen profession
ReplyDeleteHi Speedy, Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful news about our beloved batch mate Fabian as we called him ( not George).
ReplyDeleteThank you Rohini for being the facilitator.
I remember Fabian very well. He was one of the host of Perera's in our batch Zita, Dharmini, Chithra, Gwendolyn, BL, Lucian, Wimal.Being not too far from them ( being a K) I interacted with them quite a bit, particularly as Zita was my bestie.
I remember Fabian as a gentle, soft spoken chap with a quiet sense of humour, and a distinctive Clark Gable moustache!
So proud of you Fabian, and so happy that they have given you this much deserved honour appreciating your amazing and selfless service to the community. Please accept my love and best wishes and a virtual hug !
So proud of you!!
Suri
My thanks to Fabian for the tremendous and selfless work he has done for the community as a GP in Whangarei and Hikurangi in New Zealand. As a batchmate, a fellow medic and a Sri Lankan I feel ever so proud of his work and achievements. We all entered the hallowed portals of the faculty of Medicine at Kynsey Road with high ideals to uphold the traditions set out by Hippocrates and many others. I feel immensely proud to read about the commitment and dedication of Fabian Perera all through his professional life.
ReplyDeleteMy grateful thanks to Marian Dissanayake for bringing Fabian’s selfless work to the attention of the general public and our gratitude to Rohini and Mahendra for publishing this in our Blog. He will forever be remembered with great affection by the people of Whangarei and Hikurangi in New Zealand.
On behalf of the Faculty batch of 1962 I thank Fabian for his work and send him our best wishes for many more years of good health and happiness.
Very pleased to see the response. I was tempted to find out more about the area where Fabian has settled down and I found these facts most interesting. The climate sounds great!
ReplyDeleteWhangārei is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, created in 1989 from the former Whangarei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils to administer both the city and its hinterland. The city population was estimated to be 56,100 in June 2024, an increase from 47,000 in 2001.
The Northland Region is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year.
Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour were the first Europeans to sight the Whangārei Harbour entrance.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 68.5% European (Pākehā); 37.3% Māori; 5.6% Pasifika; I note that 8.9% were Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".
Whangārei is governed locally by the Whangarei District Council. The city is split into two of the council wards, Denby, which takes the northern suburbs, and Okara, which takes the southern half of the city.
Thank you very much Rohini for highlighting the wonderful achievements of Fabian Perera. Fabian, congratulations for making such a big impact in a rural community and being rewarded for your efforts
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether you all are aware that I was awarded the MBE ( Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1992 by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth11, in recognition of my contribution to the Sri Lankan Cleft Lip and Palate Project. I happened to be the only Sri Lankan domiciled in Sri Lanka to receive a Royal Honour ,after it was abolished by SWRDB in the 1960s.
It is great to hear about Fabian Perera being honored by his community in NZ. Rohini, thank you for sharing the news, and Mahen thank you for giving us more information about this somewhat remote area. From the article written by Marian Dissanayake it appears that he was in solo practice and dedicated to his patients and community. It takes a special type of person to stick with a practice like that for so long. Congratulations Fabian! We are proud of you!
ReplyDeleteAs Suri pointed out there were many Pereras in our batch. I knew most of them, but Fabian was a rather quiet person so I really didn't know him well in Medical College. Many of our batch mates are in distant places now and somewhat isolated from others in the group. Unless they show up for our reunions, which are now behind us, it is not possible to get news of them. Thank you Rohini for connecting us with Fabian.
When I bumped into Sisira Ranasinghe many years ago at our reunion in 1992, I found out that he was living in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After that reunion I spent a year doing Locum Tenens work. One of my assignments was at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. When I contacted Sisira he invited me to visit and stay with them on a free weekend, which I did. I had a really good time catching up with him and meeting his wife Sarojini. As I was getting ready to leave, he said "You know Srianee, we spoke more to each other this weekend than we ever did during the five years in Medical College!"
Unfortunately, I have lost touch with Sisira. Is anyone in touch with him?