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Importance of maintaining excellence in challenging times, strong words from senior doctor
View(s):- Prof. Janaka De Silva speaks as Chief Guest at the Academic Sessions of the Sri Lanka College of Oncologists
The searchlight was turned inward recently when a respected medical academic took a critical look at the role of doctors.
“Doctors are expected to make the care of their patients their first concern. They should be competent in all aspects of their patient care related responsibilities and keep their professional knowledge and skills up-to-date,” stressed Emeritus Prof. Janaka De Silva, former director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Annual Academic Sessions (AAS) of the Sri Lanka College of Oncologists (SLCO) on October 13 in Colombo, Prof. De Silva pointed out that doctors should recognise and work within the limits of their competence and refer where it is considered necessary, prescribe drugs or treatment based on the best available evidence.
The headtable at the inauguration (from left) SLCO Secretary Dr. Sanjeeva Gunasekera, Immediate Past President Dr. N. Jayakumaran and President Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe; and Chief Guest Emeritus Prof. Janaka De Silva and the Dr. Lakdasa Dissanayake Memorial Orator Dr. Rasitha Manatunga. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The SLCO guided by its President Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The AAS held from October 13 to 15 had as its theme ‘Resilience, Innovation and Excellence’.
The keynote speech on ‘Re-conceptualizing cancer – An epistemological approach’ at the inauguration was by Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe, Chair and Senior Professor of English at the Department of English who delved into her experience as a teacher, researcher, advocate and cancer survivor.
Prof. De Silva, meanwhile, further said that Sri Lanka is struggling with the current brain drain and, paradoxically, protectionism within the profession.
“Almost all of us specialists here have had the benefit of free education at some time or another – at school, at university or when we went overseas for our postgraduate training. It was certainly the case for me. It is something extraordinary for a lower middle income country to provide. So, we owe Sri Lanka and her people a debt of gratitude,” he said, pointing out that it is a duty noble and proper to give something back to the system that nurtured us.
Emeritus Prof. Janaka De Silva
He feels sad when reading news of some specialist doctors cold-heartedly and without notice abandoning their posts and patients, and leaving the country, and worse, doing so secretively to avoid paying their service bonds and other dues. “This is disgraceful and brings our whole profession into disrepute. The shame, however, is not only theirs, but should be shared equally by the affluent countries that poach them from this not-too-well-off country.”
But, our system is also at fault, concedes Prof. De Silva, pointing out that it needs to fulfil a social obligation – provide career opportunities for the nearly 2,000-odd doctors graduating from local and foreign medical schools joining the workforce each year.
Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe
He went onto say that in addition to being knowledgeable and skilled, fitness to practice by a doctor is also determined by professional conduct – maintaining a high standard of professional and moral ethics and being aware of and respecting the rights of patients.
“What I have said is hardly new and should be common practice. But we all know that this is not the case. We have only to listen to the news, read the newspapers or log onto social media to hear ever increasing incidents of patients subjected to unnecessary investigations and procedures, given irrational prescriptions, issued false medical certificates and charged unconscionable fees,” added Prof. De Silva.
Meanwhile, SLCO President Dr. Abeysinghe, expanding on the theme, said that in the face of funding shortages, brain drain depleting our human resources and diminished economic prospects, the oncology community and the entire healthcare system, have demonstrated extraordinary resilience.
“We recognise that professional burnout is an ever-present threat under these circumstances. Our aim is not only to celebrate this resilience but also to explore novel approaches to sustaining and enhancing it. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we owe it to our patients not to allow the high standards we have upheld thus far, to diminish. Therefore, excellence should remain our ultimate goal in all that we do,” he said.
He pointed out that excellence in an environment with limited resources can only be achieved through innovation. The college has played a pioneering role in the reorganization of the cancer care network in Sri Lanka.
Hoping that the AAS would serve as a launching pad to propel these innovative measures to the next level, Dr. Abeysinghe added: “Together, we can navigate these challenges and continue to provide the highest standard of care to those who depend on us.”
(See the full text of Emeritus Prof. Janaka De Silva’s speech)
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