The Sri Lanka Medical Association

THE SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 133rd Anniversary International Virtual Medical Congress “Professional Development for Quality Enhancement of Healthcare: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic” 24th – 26th July 2020 i ii THE SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 133rd Anniversary International Virtual Medical Congress “Professional Development for Quality Enhancement of Healthcare: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic” 24th – 26th July 2020 No. 06, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07 iii CONTENTS Message from the President 01 Message from the Honorary Secretary 02 Message from Hon. Minister of Health and 04 Indigenous Medical Services Message from the Secretary – Ministry of Health & Indigenous 05 Medical Services Message from Director General of Health Services 06 Message from the Guest of Honour 07 The Sri Lanka Medical Association Council 2020 08 The Steering Committee 10 Programme at a Glance 12 Programme in Detail 15 Orations 38 Faculty 45 Summary of Presentations 52 List of Oral Presentations 69 List of Poster Presentations 75 Partners and Sponsors 04 iv 133rd ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION dented degree of uncertainty worldwide. Experts predict that life now would not be the same as in the pre-COVID era. Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD), are not exceptions in this regard. The digital and techno- logical transformation of CME and CPD is accelerated due to the challenges of adapting to the post-COVID New Normal. The SLMA took a bold decision to go ahead with the congress considering our responsibility towards CPD and CME. This congress may be the only opportunity for medical professionals, allied health professionals and students in Sri Lanka to present their research findings at an international conference during 2020. Pre-conference workshops, a Keynote Address, Sym- posia and Guest Lectures have been planned, consid- Professor Indika Karunathilake ering the need to adapt to the New Normal. In the process of developing policy and regulatory frame- works and public health interventions, the SLMA has In April 2005, SLMA NEWS, the Newsletter of the Sri utilized the expertise within itself, to bring together Lanka Medical Association carried the Editor’s note, multiple stakeholders on to a single platform. The “SLMA Sessions Totally Virtual - A Dream or Reality”. congress will give us an opportunity to listen to, en- That prediction I made 15 years ago, as the then Edi- gage with and learn from experts and practitioners tor of the SLMA, has now become a reality. Tthe on best practices adopted to mitigate these challeng- 133rd Anniversary International Medical Congress of es. the Sri Lanka Medical Association is being held as a virtual on-line conference from 24th to 26th July 2020, The challenges faced when organising this year’s con- and webcast worldwide from the historic Wijerama gress were immense, including the acquisition of House in Colombo. hardware, training human resources, availability of low cost/free software solutions. This was complicat- Established in 1887, the SLMA is the oldest profes- ed further by the current global and national financial sional medical association in Asia and Australasia. It crisis. My heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who has contributed immensely towards the betterment contributed towards the success of the congress, in- of health of the nation over the years. During this cluding the Guests of Honour, the Resource Persons, global COVID-19 pandemic, the SLMA helped to con- Organizing Committee, SLMA staff, sponsors and very tain the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka by creating specially, all the participants. awareness among the public and by playing a pivotal role in the formulation of interim guidelines for With over 400 registered participants, and the exper- screening and management of patients. It has taken tise provided by local and international resource per- a lead in advocacy initiatives of safety protocols and sons, this is going to be a landmark global event. continues to work closely with Sri Lankan authorities and international organisations to ensure the wellbe- Thank you. ing of Sri Lankan citizens. Professor Indika Karunathilake COVID-19 has inflicted an unexpected and unprece- President – Sri Lanka Medical Association 1 133rd ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS MESSAGE FROM THE HONORARY SECRETARY SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Dr. Sumithra Tissera It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to welcome you to the 133rd Anniversary International Medi- cal Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) in 2020 held from 24th to 26th July 2020 at the Dr. NDW Lionel Memorial Auditorium, Wijerama House, Colombo. The ability of the SLMA to combine and connect medical officers of diverse grades and various specialties will be utilized to create a suitable platform where all can communicate and work towards a better post-COVID era. In order to respect the current regulations especially social distancing and concepts of respiratory etiquette this years’ congress will be held as a virtual conference with very minimal physical participation. This will facilitate and ensure more participation in these difficult times. Thus the SLMA is one of the first of organizations in Sri Lanka to launch, not merely a lecture or seminar, but a com- plete congress on an online platform. Though this much anticipated event will be curtailed due to the current circumstances, the spirit of the occasion and the exchange of knowledge and ideas will surely thrive in this new platform. This year, as in the preceding years, a fascinating and thought-provoking line up has been arranged by us. This year’s programme intends as always, to create a discourse and sharing of ideas from the different corners of the world. The main academic programme is to be delivered through one Keynote Address, eight Main Sym- posia and six Guest Lectures. In addition, there will be three Orations and the much-acclaimed Doctors’ Concert 2 133rd ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS The concert will ensure that the camaraderie and joy of this programme is maintained in spite of the restrictions. The SLMA Oration will be delivered at the Inauguration Ceremony and will be followed by the Professor N D W Lionel Memorial Oration and Dr. S C Paul Oration during the conference. This year, in organizing this annual event, it is indeed evident that we at the SLMA have had to rise up in times of adversity and overcome many obstacles. As such, rising above these obstacles has been a collective effort under the able guidance and leadership of the President SLMA, Pro- fessor Indika Karunathilake, who has lead the team through the adversity of a pandemic and emerged by organizing one of the foremost web-based conferences in Sri Lanka. Under his advice and guidance, the objectives were met and decisions were made with ease, while at all times ensuring that team work played a pivotal role. His efforts were complemented by the Vice President of the SLMA Professor Manuj Weerasinghe, whose knowledge and untiring efforts added further colour to this congress. Co-editors of the Ceylon Medical Journal and the Editorial Board have to be commended for reviewing the many abstracts well within the deadline given by us. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all the members of the Congress Organizing Com- mittee, the Editors of the Proceedings Book, Assistant Secretaries and members of the Council. This event would not have been possible without the support and efforts of them as well as the membership of the SLMA and the ever helpful supportive staff of the SLMA. I would like to express our gratitude to all our sponsors including the UN agencies for ensuring that this event is a success. Any event would not be a success without our participants who have submitted abstracts and have registered for the congress. We sincerely hope that all of you will gain knowledge on many health and non-health related topics during the two days of the conference. As quoted by Kofi Annan, a former Secretary General of the United Nations, “Knowledge is pow- er. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society in every fami- ly.” As such, whilst wishing all delegates and participants a memorable conference I hope that all of you will all take this opportunity to gain more knowledge to step towards progress. Dr. Sumithra Tissera Honorary Secretary - SLMA 3 133rd ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS Message from Honourable Minister of Health and Indigenous Medical Services Hon. Pavithra Wanniarachchi The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), a professional and academic body dedicated to the medical profession, is one of the foremost organizations of this nature in Asia. With a membership span- ning most of the medical officers of all grades and specialties it covers the diversity of the medical profession. The SLMA has played a role in the policy making and health planning of this nation since its incep- tion. We are extremely thankful to the ever-continuous role played by the SLMA in the health sector of Sri Lanka. During recent times with the COVID-19 pandemic playing a larger than life role in not just health but in all aspects of public life, the role played by SLMA is noteworthy. During this period of COIVD-19 the advice, guidance and information given by the SLMA has been continuous and essential. The theme for this years’ congress “Professional Development for Quality Enhancement of Healthcare: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic” indicates the forethought that has gone into organizing this year’s event. It is indeed apt for the current scenario and truly in keeping with the times. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Sri Lanka Medical Association all success in the 133 rd Anniversary International Medical congress and hope they will continue to go from strength to strength during the coming years and continue the partnership and collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

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