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Twin SLMA mission – emergency relief and advocacy for public health
View(s):- Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke promises support for Chilaw Hospital and prevention of NCDs
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
The twin aspects of emergency relief in a country that is becoming more and more vulnerable to disasters and long-term advocacy for public health, will be the baton that the newly-inducted 132nd President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) will carry this year.
The new leader of the oldest and premier professional body for doctors in Sri Lanka, Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke declared that the SLMA has already identified the urgent need to repair five life-saving dialysis machines at the Chilaw District General Hospital which was badly-hit by Cyclone Ditwah and its fallout.
Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke addressing the gathering
At his induction ceremony held in Colombo on January 10, Dr. Sumanatilleke said that while they provide essential medical hotlines, they are also actively restoring hospitals whose infrastructure was devastated. He thanked colleagues in the United Kingdom and Australia for their immediate support.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic when the SLMA provided a lifeline through a 24-hour phone consultation service and established the COVID SAHANA Fund, he said it was also during this time that the SLMA spearheaded the National Intercollegiate Committee, uniting various medical associations to coordinate the national response.
“To sustain these efforts, I intend to transition our postponed Medical Dance into a Charity Dinner this February and our annual walk into a Charity Walk. Our goal is not volume, but precision. We specialize in ‘niche’ donations, identifying urgent needs that might otherwise be caught in administrative delays. By acting swiftly where others struggle, we ensure that every rupee spent translates into immediate, life-saving care,” he said.
Dr. Sumanatilleke, elaborating on his theme ‘Wellness in the nation through local and global partnerships’, reiterated the steadfast commitment and renewed focus of the SLMA to achieving holistic health and wellness for every Sri Lankan, leveraging on local and global partnerships.
The need is for a shift towards patient-centred care, focusing on the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, he underscored, pointing out that he is set on prioritizing early prevention rather than spending millions on curative treatment.
He pointed out that it would ensure more sustainable and effective health outcomes for the nation, while the SLMA will also continue to lead the charge on many other fronts. These include the heavy toll of road traffic accidents, tobacco and alcohol misuse and the rising tide of drug addiction, alongside the critical emerging challenges of environmental pollution and planetary health.
Assuring that the SLMA is ready to take greater responsibility in supporting the implementation of the Health Ministry’s ‘National Policy on Health & Well-being (2026–2035)’, he applauded the new Arogya Wellness Centres.
In an emotional gesture, Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke assists his mother, Nirmali de Silva, to light the traditional oil lamp
Set up by the ministry, these centres for early NCD detection, health education and timely elderly care, represent a shift towards people-centred, compassionate care.
“To support this, we must continue to transform health professional education. In a pioneering move, Sri Lanka recently proposed a landmark resolution to the WHO South-East Asia Region on introducing Health Humanities into professional training. Having received unanimous approval, the SLMA has formally agreed to collaborate with the ministry, professional colleges and universities to integrate these essential humanistic values into the heart of medical education,” he said.
Looking at a ‘vital’ public health concern that is ‘Men’s Health’ which is often overlooked during the development of national health policies and strategies, Dr. Sumanatilleke emphasized the need to strengthen medical training by harnessing the interdependence between different disciplines.
This landmark initiative spearheaded by the Sri Lanka Association of Urological Surgeons, is on an equal partnership with the Sri Lanka College of Cardiology and the Sri Lanka College of Endocrinologists, all working under the collaborative umbrella of the SLMA.
“We are proposing a grassroots-oriented approach to screening and early detection, integrating cardiovascular, metabolic and urological health. In Sri Lanka, men’s health-seeking behaviour remains notoriously poor; this partnership model reflects our commitment to move beyond professional silos and reach these men in their communities,” said Dr. Sumanatilleke.
Hoping to cultivate a medical profession deeply rooted in the core principles of ethical practice and humanitarianism, he called on everyone to walk with the SLMA to achieve wellness for all.
| A matter close to his heart Zeroing-in on the science of epigenetics, which is of ‘vital’ importance in wellness, Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke said that recent studies in the region had demonstrated how exposure to high levels of sugar and fatty acids during pregnancy can alter a child’s genetic expression. This predisposes them to lifelong metabolic derangements. “With the prevalence of Gestational Diabetes in Sri Lanka now at 13.9%, we have a critical window for prevention: a modest 7–10% reduction in maternal preconception weight can fundamentally change the health trajectory of the next generation,” said this Endocrinologist. He stressed that diabetes is a ‘silent killer’ underlying the majority of NCDs. A primary focus of his SLMA Presidency would be the prevention, remission and complication-control of this disease. Globally, over 580 million people are living with diabetes and the situation in Sri Lanka is equally critical. Nearly 15–20% of the adult population is affected and in urban centres like Colombo, the prevalence rises to a staggering 1 in 4 adults, he said. Dr. Sumanatilleke pushed home the message: “We must confront the reality that 65% of these individuals will eventually succumb to cardiovascular complications, such as heart attacks and strokes. Indeed, 80% of all annual deaths in Sri Lanka are now attributed to diabetes and other NCDs.” Holding out hope amidst the gloom, he said that diabetes remission is an emerging frontier in South-East Asia. Evidence now shows that structured weight-loss interventions – including very low-calorie diets, newer weight-reducing medications and bariatric procedures – can achieve remission in a substantial proportion of patients. Urging that our health policy must shift from a model of lifelong management to one where remission is a core public health goal, he said he was proud to share that Endocrinologists, Nutrition Physicians and Sports Medicine Specialists have already initiated a national care pathway for this. The SLMA, through its Expert Committee on NCDs, would provide its fullest support to this endeavour. | |
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