One patient’s suffering moves him to set up a community centre
To be called the father of a field of medicine is an honour that few in Sri Lanka have been able to claim. However, Prof. Samadhi Rajapaksa’s contemporaries bestowed this honour on him in September this year. Senior Prof. Jayantha Balawardhena, the Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University, formally proposed that the title Father of Palliative [...]
A race against time: Desperate parents seek funds to get their one-year-old a liver transplant
Desperate, they walked into our offices on Tuesday, travelling from early morn to plead for help to take their baby to India for a life-saving operation. Even as the tears flowed, to be brushed aside hastily by both father and mother, W.A. Susantha Weerasuriya (38) and P.M. Malani (33), the precocious little one, Sinumi Imanshi, [...]
Trinity’s long march to Colombo
A great feeling of patriotism gripped the people of Ceylon as war broke out between Britain and Germany in 1914. This was especially strong among the young men educated at the island’s Christian schools. As readers of these columns know, a large number of Ceylonese volunteered to fight for ‘King and Empire’, even though the [...]
Letters to the Editor
The crisis in oncology training and retention in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has invested substantially in developing a cadre of skilled clinical oncologists through the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM), University of Colombo. The national training programme requires a one-year overseas placement, most commonly undertaken in the United Kingdom. While this exposure brings valuable experience [...]
Appreciations
Precious memories of my Nana Violet Lorna Fernando Today I am honouring the life of my grandmother, Violet Lorna Fernando nee Nelson, my beloved Nana. Born in 1927 in Ceylon, she left us just two months short of her 98th birthday, closing a long and remarkable chapter that began in Nelson Place, Wellawatte. In 1962, [...]
Healing beyond the walls of a hospital
When I began my training at Katugastota Divisional Hospital, I expected a conventional clinical posting with a rotation among outpatient clinics, inpatient care and administrative duties. Instead, I stepped into a hospital in the midst of a quiet revolution, at the centre of which was Consultant Family Physician, Dr. Lasantha Heenatigala, whose calm demeanour and [...]
Tracing his trajectory as an artist
Although drawing and painting have been an almost daily ritual for much of my adult life, it was after several decades that I held an exhibition of my own work in 2019. It served as a retrospective, highlighting the different materials, mediums and techniques I worked with. Throughout my career I experimented with various materials [...]
Rajitha Dissanayake returns with Ape Gedara Gini Thiyaida
Four school friends who once sang in a choir and were hostellers together decide to reunite when one of the group returns from overseas. They even invite one of her favourite singers whom she has adored from her schooldays. Sounds like the start of a heartwarming play? Think again. Unbeknownst to the others, one of [...]
Classical Encounters by the Halpe Andree School of Music
Classical Encounters – an evening of soul-stirring classical music will be presented by the Halpe Andree School of Music on October 24 at 7.30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, Scots Kirk. Highlights of the programme include a 13-year-old diploma candidate performing Rachmaninoff on piano under Mrs. Rayanthi Kumarasinghe, and Grade 8 students and diploma candidates showcasing [...]
Zonta Club II, Colombo launches new trilingual video on breast cancer awareness
Continuing its ongoing efforts to promote breast cancer awareness, the Zonta Club II of Colombo unveiled a new trilingual video last week, aimed at spreading the vital message that early detection can make all the difference. The launch, held at Colombo City Centre, brought together members of the Zonta Club, medical professionals, advocates for women’s [...]
A silent auction in aid of Rescue Animals shelter
Gabriel’s Charity Auction in aid of Rescue Animals Sri Lanka ( RAS ) will take place on October 31 at the Mahogany, Cinnamon Grand, commencing at 7.30 pm. A silent auction featuring an array of valuable items, a fashion show with leading designers Aditi, Brian Kerkoven, Charini, Dhammika Amarasekara, Jai by Aashkii, LIMAK by KAMIL [...]