REGISTERED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF POST QD/138/NEWS/2021 NEWS+ SLMAThe Official eMagazine Of The Sri Lanka Medical Association WWW.SLMA.LK JANUARY 2021 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 01 ISSN : 1800 – 4016 (PrINTEd) 2550 – 2778 (ONLINE) Invoking “Professional Excellence towards blessings Holistic Healthcare” on Dr. & Mrs E. M. Wijerama Page 03 Presidential Address Pages 05-10 “Is science ever enough? Dare to play politics” Page 18 Call for abstracts and orations Pages 20-22 Dr Palitha Abeykoon: Special Envoy on COVID-19 Cover Story for WHO Page 26-28 Induction of the President of the SLMA - 2021 SLMANEWS+ ISSN : 1800 – 4016 (PrINTEd) 2550 – 2778 (ONLINE) “Wijerama House”, No. 6, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07, Telephone: +94 112 693 324, Email: [email protected] SLMA News Editorial Committee 2021 CONTENTS =EDITOR-IN-CHIEF President’s Message 2 Professor Hasini Banneheke SLMA News-in-Brief 3-4 =EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Dr. B.J.C. Perera Induction of the President of the SLMA-2021 Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva Presidential Address 5-10 Professor Jennifer Perera Professor A. Pathmeswaran Event Coverage 12-13 Professor Nirmala Wijekoon New Council 2021 14-15 Dr. Achala Balasuriya Dr. Shehan Silva Professor Sampath Gunawardana Feature Articles Dr. Chathurie Suraweera History of The Sri Lanka College of Sexual Health and HIV Medicine 16-17 =COVER PHOTO Anira Photo by “Is science ever enough? Dare to play politics” from Lancet 18 Mr. Amal Ranawaka Notices =MAGAZINE DESIGN Call for abstracts, guidelines and list of awards Wasantha Siriwardena for free papers and posters [email protected] 20-21 Call for orations 21-22 =LAYOUT U.R. Sampath Miscellany = A tribute to a legendary medical teacher, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING 24-25 ASSISTANCE late Professor Eugene Wikramanayake ANANDA PRESS Dr Palitha Abeykoon: Appointed Special Envoy on T: + 94 11 277 4793 COVID-19 by the Director General of the World Health M: + 94 777 745 389 Organisation 26-28 S: www.anandapress.lk E: [email protected] A: 277, Hokandara Road, Voice of Youth Thalawathugoda, Sri Lanka Life at the SLMA: in harmony and flourishing 28 OUR ADVERTISERS =Glaxosmithkline SLMA President Pharmaceuticals Ltd Dr. Padma Gunaratne =Blue Ocean Group of Companies MBBS, MD(SL), FRCP =Anti-Malaria Campaign (Edin, Glasg, Lond), FCCP, =Prime Group Hon FRACP, FAAN, FWSO President, Sri Lanka Medical =Asset Group of Companies Association SLMA NEWS+ is published by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA). The views expressed in it are not necessarily those of the SLMA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Editor. Permission may be sought directly from the SLMA, Wijerama House, No. 6, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07, via telephone +94 112 693 324 or E-mail: [email protected] SLMANEWS+ JANUARY 2021 | 01 President’s Message Dear Colleagues, are conducive and are able to allocate a separate room and feel honoured and a bathroom for themselves privileged for the could possibly be managed at opportunity to send home reducing the burden on this message to the Intermediate Centres and ease Imembership as the 127th the patient as well. President of the Sri Lanka As a result, it is essential Medial Association, the apex that the SLMA arranges professional organization of training programs for doctors the medical profession. to effectively handle home- This is a moment where management of asymptotic the need of the opinion of our COVID-19 patients in the Organization and the services future. of our profession to the day The issue of COVID-19 death to day lives of all Sri Lankans management in Sri Lanka was is required more than ever another important national before. concern that created unrest We have lived through among certain communities an year with the COVID-19 who believe that burial is an pandemic while trying to essential form of disposal of transform all our activities to the dead body. suit the “new normal”. The SLMA had a In fact, some activities have brainstorming session on been more successful when scientific information available compared to the pre-COVID on this subject and established era, while there is a lot left to be our position in this regard. desired in other activities such We are proud that the as organizing social activities you can participate with your release of the SLMA statement and education. family. cleared the doubts in the minds Distant Medical Education The COVID-19 infection is of many individuals who may is one such activity that did still raging in Sri Lanka with have been misinformed. much better than ever before an ever-rising number of cases Furthermore, it is important during the COVID-19 pandemic currently exceeding 40,000 to note that quelling the unrest in 2020. The SLMA was able and over 200 lives lost. While may improve the adherence to develop a fully-fledged adhering to Ministry of Health to guidelines on prevention auditorium from where we can Guidelines on prevention, the of COVID-19 infection and now address and educate any of way forward appears to be able improve contact tracing efforts. our members who are working to vaccinate all high-risk people Please check whether you in the remotest regions of the groups as soon as possible. receive the SLMA alerts via Island. I am glad that the SLMA SMS through which the SLMA I urge you to stay tuned, was able to take it up with the disseminates key information encourage your friends who Secretary to HE the President regarding many activities of are not already members to and was able to convince ours and also would appreciate become members of the SLMA, the authorities of the need the suggestions by the SLMA follow and interact with us via to expedite the process of members to be taken up our Facebook page, and let us purchasing vaccines. by SLMA this year for the know your expectations so that As with the escalating betterment of the medical we can organize and fulfil our number of cases of COVID-19, profession to improve the obligation to keep doctors up- it appears that a good number services to the Sri Lankan to-date. of Intermediate Centres are public. Please plan to join our inundated with asymptomatic Thank you Annual Scientific Sessions cases who are PCR positive. scheduled to be held from 27th Maintaining these centres are Dr. Padma Gunaratne – 30th in July 2021 under the prohibitively expensive for the MBBS, MD(SL), FRCP(Edin, theme “Professional Excellence Government. Glasg, Lond), FCCP, Hon towards Holistic Health Care”. Therefore, managing FRACP, FAAN, FWSO There will also be many asymptomatic patients President, Sri Lanka Medical social activities for which whose housing conditions Association 02 | JANUARY 2021 SLMANEWS+ SLMA News-in-brief Activities in December and January 2021 30th December 2020 religious function was held at A ‘Wijerama House’ to invoke blessings on Dr. & Mrs E. M. Wijerama and all past Presidents who are no more, by the President and Council 2020/21, the staff at SLMA office and other Colleges/ associations located at SLMA premises. The events unfolded with a chanting of pirith and almsgiving to Buddhist priests from Ashokaramaya Temple, Thimbirigasyaya. This was followed by religious rituals performed by Rev. Fr. Crispin Leo from St Peters Church, Moulavi Abdul Sathar from Maligawatte Islamic Centre and S Sandhana Krishna Aiyar from Wellawatte. The SLMA, jointly with the Sri Lanka Association of Geriatric in Elders’ homes” to State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle as Medicine (SLAGM) presented the of Primary Health Services, this group is at a very high risk of guideline on protecting “Persons Pandemics and COVID Prevention, contracting COVID-19. 31st December 2020 brainstorming A session on vaccine roll out in the country and compulsory cremation of COVID-19 dead bodies was held with the participation of experts in relevant fields and some council members of SLMA. 1st January 2021 he inaugural council meeting was held on first January 2021 at the SLMA auditorium. The Tmeeting was presided by Dr. Padma Gunaratne, President SLMA. The proceedings commenced with the traditional New Year reception held at 3.30 pm, followed by lighting of the oil lamp of learning and unveiling the portrait of Professor Indika Karunathilake, President of SLMA in 2020, by the new president. SLMANEWS+ JANUARY 2021 | 03 SLMA News-in-Brief 1st January 2021 o mark the beginning of Tthe year 2021, Sri Lanka Medical Association planted 5 native/endemic plants at Vihara Maha Devi Park to initiate the new concept of developing “Urban Forests”. The trees included Mee (මී ජාතියේ පොහොර ගස), Neem Tree (කොහොඹ), Indian Beech (මගුල් කරඳ), Hora tree (හොර) and Daly River Satinash (බටදොඹ). 2nd January 2021 6th January 2021 team led by Dr. Padma Gunaratne, President SLMA had deliberations A on containing the disease, vaccination, stroke care, protecting follow-up discussion on persons at elders’ homes and death management of COVID-19 infection A prevention of COVID with the Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, Secretary to His Excellency the President -19 pneumonia among of Sri Lanka. inmates of Elders’ homes was held with Dr. Sudarshini 5th January 2021 Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID-19 Prevention, in the presence of representatives from SLMA, World Bank, the Ministry of Health and the National Secretariat for Elders. n update on Vaccines was the proceedings carried out by Aheld at the SLMA Auditorium Professor Ariyaranee Gnanadasan. organized by the SLMA Media The resource persons were Committee on fifth January 21.20 It Dr.