SLMA News 2016 01

January 2016, VOLUME 09, ISSUE 01

NEWS

REGISTERED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF POST QD/30/NEWS/2016

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

COVER STORY

SLMA Presidential Induction 2016

SLMA COUNCIL 2016

CALL FOR ORATIONS AND FREE PAPERS

SCAN THIS CODE TO READ ONLINE

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SLMA President Dr. Iyanthi Abeyewickreme

CONTENTS

MBBS (Ceylon), Diploma in Venereology (London), MSc, MD (Colombo), FCVSL, Hon. Senior Fellow PGIM Consultant Venereologist

SLMA News Editorial Committee 2016

President's Message

02

Cover Story...

SLMA Presidential Induction 2016

03

SLMA Council 2016

12

Presidential Induction Ceremony Highlights

14

First Council Meeting of 2016

18

Call for Orations, Free Papers, Posters & Awards

19

Poem - "Battling Microbes"

22

Current Malaria Case Numbers

22

Editor-In-Chief: Dr. Hasini A. Banneheke Committee: Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva Dr. Kalyani Guruge Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa Dr. Amaya Ellawala

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1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Sri Lanka Medical Association Serving the Profession - Serving the Nation

T

he Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) has bestowed a great honour on me by electing me as its 119th President. It is with great humility that I accept this post and thank the members for electing me. It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be the President of this prestigious association, which embarks on its 129th year. I am aware that being the president of the SLMA comes with much responsibility. The illustrious array of past presidents with their respective councils have steered this organisation to great heights. I too will serve the SLMA to the best of my ability and do my utmost to be worthy of the trust that has been placed in me by its members. During my tenure of office, I, along with my new council will try to fulfil the objectives and aspirations of the Association.

The ceremony to induct the President held at HNB Towers on 16th January 2016 was a great success. The theme I selected for this year “From MDGs to SDGs – Moving from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals” was presented, highlighting the progress made by the world as well as by Sri Lanka on the health related MDGs and the relevance of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Selected targets of the health goal of the SDGs such as reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, preventing/reducing deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents, ending mother to child transmission of HIV and curbing escalating antibiotic

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resistance are of concern to us in Sri Lanka as well. The SLMA will engage with related health and non-health partners during this year to take this agenda forward and I earnestly seek the fullest cooperation and commitment of the membership towards this endeavour.

I thank Dr Manisha Abeyewickreme and Dr Parakrama Dharmaratne for organizing the induction ceremony and making it the great success it was. I also thank the Hony. Secretary, Dr Neelamani Punchihewa, Vice Presidents, Dr G. Weerasinghe and Dr Ruvaiz Haniffa, Assistant Secretaries, Dr Hasini Banneheke and Dr Sumithra Thisera for their support and Mr Rajasingham and the SLMA office staff for their logistical support. I wish to thank flutist Mr Tilanka Jayamanne and violinist Ms Lydia Gunathileka for keeping the audience entertained with their soothing music and Dr Lasantha Malavige of Lassana Flora for the beautiful floral décor. I also thank Dr

Amaya Ellawala for compering.

This year the annual scientific congress will be held from 24th – 27th July.

I am confident that the Congress cochairs, Dr Anula Wijesundara and Dr G. Weerasinghe along with the members of the scientific committee will arrange a programme that will be stimulating and educative. The SLMA run and walk will take place on 17th July and I hope that doctors and their families will participate in their numbers.

The monthly clinical meetings and the regional meetings will continue and clinical meetings with private hospitals are also on the CPD agenda this year.

It is my fervent hope that all SLMA members, both here in Sri Lanka and overseas will actively contribute towards achieving the objectives of the association as the strength of the SLMA lies in its membership. Finally, I wish you all a peaceful, prosperous and a healthy 2016.

Dr Iyanthi Abeyewickreme President SLMA

SLMANEWS

SLMA PRESIDENTIAL INDUCTION 2016 Dr. Iyanthi Abeyewickreme was inducted as the Honorary President of Sri Lanka Medical Association by the Immediate Past President, Professor Jennifer Perera at a ceremony held on 16th January 2016 at HNB Towers, Colombo. The Presidential address delivered by Dr. Iyanthi Abeyewickreme on the SLMA theme for 2016 “From MDGs to SDGs, Moving from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals” is given below.

Prof. Jennifer Perera, Immediate Past President, Members of the Board of Trustees, Past Presidents, Members of the Council, Members of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Distinguished invitees, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to begin by thanking Prof. Jennifer Perera for that generous introduction.

The Sri Lanka Medical Association has bestowed a great honour on me by electing me as its 119th President. It is with great humility that I accept this post and thank the members for electing me. It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, which

SLMANEWS

embarks on its 129th year. The SLMA has a long and a proud history. It was originally established as the Ceylon Branch of the British Medical Association in 1887. Although the name of the association was changed to the Ceylon Medical Association in 1951 it still continued to be a branch of the British Medical Association until it adopted its current name the Sri Lanka Medical Association in 1972.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The SLMA is unique in that it is the oldest national medical association in Asia and Australasia. I am aware that being the president of this prestigious association comes with much responsibility. The illustrious array of past presidents of the SLMA with their respective councils have steered this organisation to great heights. I too will serve the SLMA to the best of my ability and do my utmost to be worthy of the trust that has been placed in me by its members.

I take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Jennifer Perera and her council for the tremendous amount of work that was carried out last year. In appreciation of her contribution to the SLMA, I would now like to award her the past president’s medal.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The theme I have chosen for this year is “From MDGs to SDGs, Moving from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals”.

The millennium development goals or MDGs were adopted in the year 2000 following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations. From 2000 up to 2015, the development agenda was centered on the MDGs. The MDGs encapsulated eight globally agreed goals in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, gender equality and empowerment of women, child and maternal health, reducing HIV/AIDS, malaria and other communicable dis-

eases, environmental sustainability, and building a global partnership for development. The year 2016 dawned just 15 days ago. It is a good time to take stock of what progress the world and we in Sri Lanka have achieved in relation to the MDGs over the past fifteen years. Overall, progress towards the MDGs, can be described as being remarkable. While significant progress has been made in a number of areas, progress has been uneven in particular, those related to maternal, newborn and child health and to reproductive health.

Ladies and Gentlemen, While all the MDGs have a bearing on health, I will confine my address today to MDGs 4, 5 and 6 as these goals are directly related to health.

MDG 4 MGD 4 refers to reducing child mortality. The target was to reduce by twothirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under 5 mortality rate. The progress was to be measured using the underfive mortality rate, the infant mortality rate and the proportion of one year old children immunized against measles.

Despite population growth in the developing regions, the number of deaths of children under five has declined globally from 12.7 million in 1990 to almost 6 million in 2015. The global under-five mortality rate declined by 53% between 1990 and 2015, but fell short of the MDG 4 target of a two-thirds reduction. According to the estimates based on the current rate of progress it will take about another 10 years to reach the global target.

Globally, the infant mortality rate has decreased from an estimated rate of 63 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 32 deaths per 1000 live births in 2015. Annual infant deaths have declined from around 9 million in 1990 to 4.5 million in 2015.

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January 2016

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Presidential...

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious complications in children. Vaccination against measles has helped prevent millions of deaths between 2000 and 2013. About 84% of children worldwide received at least one dose of measles-containing vaccine in 2013, an increase from 73% in 2000.

MDG 5 MDG 5 is to improve maternal mortality by reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters. Maternal survival has significantly improved since the adoption of the MDGs. The maternal mortality ratio has declined by 44 % worldwide since 1990 and most of the reduction has occurred since 2000. However, every day, hundreds of pregnant women continue to die during pregnancy or from delivery-related complications. Globally, haemorrhage during pregnancy was the cause of the greatest number of maternal deaths. Worldwide, nearly three quarters of births were assisted by skilled health personnel in 2014, an increase from 59% in 1990. However, this also indicates that more than one in four babies and their mothers did not have access to crucial medical care during childbirth. Therefore, improving maternal health is an important part of the unfinished agenda for the post-2015 period.

MDG 6 In the year 2000 when MDGs came into being, there was no coherent, public health response to the HIV epidemic. At that time, new HIV infections were on the increase and access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment was available only in a few high-income countries. However, the global HIV response has been remarkably transformed in the last fifteen years.

Increasingly, comprehensive programmes that promote and support HIV prevention, and provide treatment to large numbers of persons who need it are in place. In 2000, there were an estimated 3.1 million new cases of

HIV globally while in 2015, the new infections were estimated to be 2 million, which amounts to an approximately 35 % decrease. Had the AIDS response been maintained at the year 2000 level, there would have been 6 million new HIV infections in 2014 as compared to the 2 million that actually occurred. One of the most remarkable achievements in reducing new HIV infections has been among children below the age of 15 years by preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to children.

The world is on the brink of eliminating new HIV infections among children. However, progress in preventing HIV among young people aged 15 to 24 years has been moderate, and risky sexual behaviour and insufficient knowledge about HIV remain at high levels among youth in many countries.

By end 2015, some 16 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally, an immense increase from just 690,000 in 2000.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The global health response to HIV represents one of the great public health feats of recent times. This feat made it possible at a global level to reach Millennium Development Goal 6, which called for halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV by 2015. The HIV response also contributed to reducing child mortality and maternal mortality.

Having worked in the field of sexually transmitted infections and HIV in eleven countries including Sri Lanka for nearly 35 years, I feel greatly humbled that albeit in a small way I too was able to contribute towards the success of curbing this global epidemic.

Where does the world stand with regard to malaria?

Over 6.2 million malaria deaths have been averted between 2000 and 2015, primarily of children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa.

This has also helped improve child survival rates, directly contributing to MDG4. The global malaria incidence rate has fallen by an estimated 37 % and the mortality rate has declined by half. As a result, the global MDG target for malaria has been achieved.

One of the important interventions to prevent malaria is insecticide-treated mosquito nets and more than 900 million of these were delivered to malaria-endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa between 2004 and 2014.

Between 2000 and 2014, tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment interventions saved an estimated 43 million lives globally. As a result of these interventions, the tuberculosis mortality rate fell by 47 %. For the past two decades, the DOTS strategy (i.e., the directly observed treatment short course strategy) has guided national and international efforts in tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

To summarize the global progress on MDG 4, 5 and 6, it is clear that the world was unable to meet the MDG 4 and 5 targets but has been able to achieve the MDG 6 target.

What is Sri Lanka’s progress of the health related MDGs? You will be pleased to know that Sri Lanka has been remarkably successful in moving towards achieving the target of reducing the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds. In fact, according to currently available data, Sri Lanka was on track to achieve targets for all three indicators under Goal 4.

The decrease in the under-five mortality rate from 1991 reflects improved health care services in terms of availability, access and quality. However, it is important to note that regardless of progress made, regional variations remain significant. For example, in 2009, the Vavuniya district had an under-five mortality rate of 85.3, very much higher than the country average.

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SLMANEWS

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Presidential...

Few other districts such as Mullativu, Kandy, Batticaloa and Colombo also had higher values. The infant mortality rate at the national level decreased from 17.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1991 to 9.4 in 2009, putting Sri Lanka on track to meet the 2015 target.

It is also important to note that nearly three quarters of infant deaths in Sri Lanka occurred during the neonatal period similar to the global situation.

Prematurity and congenital abnormalities were the main causes of infant deaths in 2013.

The expanded programme on immunization introduced in 1978 in Sri Lanka, has achieved impressive results in reducing preventable diseases. According to the national immunization schedule, the first dose of measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine is given at 9 months of age followed by a second dose at completion of 3 years of age. Sri Lanka has almost achieved universal measles immunization.

Where does Sri Lanka stand with regard to MDG 5?

Sri Lanka has come a long way in improving maternal health. In 1948 around 1700 pregnant women per 100,000 live births died due to a cause related to pregnancy. By 2014, this number has reduced to 32 per 100,000 live births. This is a significant decrease and bears testimony to the improved care provided to pregnant women in this country over the years.

Maternal deaths can occur due to causes directly related to pregnancy and delivery or due to indirect causes.

In 2014, the leading causes of maternal deaths were indirect causes such as respiratory disease, heart disease complicating pregnancy, hypertensive disorders and other medical disorders whereas haemorrhage was the leading cause of maternal deaths globally.

Among the South East Asian countries, Sri Lanka has the lowest maternal mortality. While it is heartening to note that currently Sri Lanka is on par with developed countries with low

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levels of maternal deaths, it must also be acknowledged that the decline in maternal mortality has been stagnant during the past few years.

The proportion of births attended by skilled birth attendants was 98.8 % in 2014 and, virtually all births in Sri Lanka involve institutional deliveries, with doctors attending on more than 70 % of deliveries.

What has been the progress for MDG 6 in Sri Lanka?

In the year 2000, when the MDGs came into being, the number of new HIV infections reported by the National STD/AIDS Control Programme or the NSACP was 54. The reported numbers indicate an increase over the years and the numbers have doubled since 2010. However, this increase is coupled with a stable number of newly reported deaths each year, and a consistently low HIV prevalence of less than 1% across all populations tested.

In fact, HIV testing has increased by 67% since 2010. Since the number of AIDS cases has proportionally risen over the same period, increased testing has not necessarily detected people living with HIV at an earlier stage. By end 2015, there were 1708 persons detected to be living with HIV. This represents approximately 53% of the estimated number of people living with HIV in Sri Lanka at present.

Therefore, the need to generate an increase in demand and improve access to testing services to close the gap cannot be over emphasised.

Sri Lanka was able to provide ART for HIV infected persons in late 2004 with assistance from the World Bank.

Since then, these drugs were procured with assistance from the Global Fund. The Ministry of Health has undertaken to purchase antiretroviral drugs from this year onwards, which is a progressive step as donor funds are dwindling. By the end of the third quarter of last year, 746 HIV infected persons were on antiretroviral treatment, which, however, falls short of

the MDG 6 target.

Sri Lanka has experienced several major epidemics of malaria. The most devastating of these was the epidemic of 1934–1935 during which approximately 1.5 million individuals contracted the disease and 80,000 deaths were reported. However, in recent years, control of malaria in Sri Lanka has led to remarkable results.

For the first time in recorded history, no indigenous cases of malaria have been reported for three consecutive years! Therefore, we are now eligible for World Health Organization certification as a malaria free country. Even if the current burden of malaria is extremely low or non-existent, we need to be cognizant of the fact that the potential for outbreaks and a resurgence of malaria exists.

Let us now look at tuberculosis control in Sri Lanka and if the MDG target has been achieved. Though tuberculosis is a treatable and a curable disease, it still remains a public health problem in Sri Lanka. Treatment success has reached the global target of 85 %. There were 8767 new cases of tuberculosis reported in 2013 giving an incidence rate of 44.1 per 100,000 population. The mortality rate associated with TB also declined from 7.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990 to 1.1 in 2012. The Government of Sri Lanka has adopted the global target of a treatment rate of 85% and a case detection rate of 70% as minimum goals.The achievements of Sri Lanka with regard to MDGs 4, 5 and 6 Sri Lanka has successfully reduced both infant mortality and child mortality rates and if these trends have continued, MDG targets for both would have been met by 2015.This assumption is based on available data.

As the maternal mortality ratio has declined from 92 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 32 in 2014, the target of reducing the ratio by three quarters will likely be met by 2015.

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Presidential...

Sri Lanka has maintained a low HIV prevalence since the first case was reported in 1987 and it is unlikely that Sri Lanka will experience a generalized epidemic.

We have been free of local or indigenous malarial infection for three consecutive years and no deaths due to malaria have been reported since 2007. The next challenge is to eradicate malaria from this country.

Although the indicators are encouraging, there is still much to be done to control tuberculosis in Sri Lanka.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Moving on from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, the MDGs were expected to be achieved by 2015. Hence a further process was needed to agree and develop development goals from 2016 to 2030. Discussions on the post-2015 framework for international development started well in advance. Formal debate concerning the SDGs first took place at the 2012 United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro.

What are these global or sustainable development goals?

The new Goals are not a mere simple continuation of the MDGs but go well beyond them. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is described as one of unprecedented scope and ambition, and applicable to all countries.

The SDG agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.

The SGDs consist of 17 goals and 169 targets unlike the MDGs which consisted of 8 goals and 21 targets.

There is only goal on health.It is also important to note that, not everyone was happy with the SDGs. Some criticized the goals as being too broad and ambitious. However, at the United Nations Development Summit held in September last year, 193 nations adopted the SGDs. At this summit, President Maitripala Sirisena pledged that the government of Sri Lanka fully supports the post-2015 sustainable devel-

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opment agenda in pursuance of the 17 SDGs to be completed by 2030.

We are still only two weeks into the new year. Neither Sri Lanka nor any other country is expected to launch a full blown implementation of these global targets from this month.

It is more rational to take stock, consider the national development objectives and prioritize the goals that are relevant to the country.

I would now like to draw your attention to Goal three of the SDGs which is, to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages”.

Unlike with the MDGs, this health goal is broad and has 13 targets.

Health has a central place as a major contributor to and beneficiary of sustainable development policies.

There are many linkages between the health goal and other goals and targets, reflecting the integrated approach that underpins the SDGs. The targets identified under the health goal vary from reducing maternal mortality to strengthening the capacity of all countries for early warning risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

You may be aware that while Sri Lanka has been successful in combating communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases or NCDs are on the increase. In October 2015, a mission carried out by the UN Task Force on NCD concluded that the epidemic of NCDs has now become a serious economic as well as public health issue in Sri Lanka and is fueled by tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity. According to the World Health Organization in 2014, non-communicable diseases accounted for 75% of deaths in Sri Lanka with diabetes accounting for 7% of deaths. This is a significant increase from 2008, where diabetes accounted for only 4% of deaths.

The Annual Health Bulletin published by the Ministry of Health lists ischaemic heart disease as the lead-

ing cause of hospital deaths in 2012.

Ischaemic heart disease has ranked as the leading cause of death since 1995. There are many causes of ischaemic heart disease and diabetes is one of them.

There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes in Sri Lanka over the past decade. The Noncommunicable Diseases Unit of the Ministry of Health estimated that in 2014 around 20% of all Sri Lankans were affected. This estimate has been validated by data from the Diabetic Association of Sri Lanka, which indicates that there are nearly 4 million diabetics in Sri Lanka at present.

In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to the recently formulated strategic framework of the SLMA covering a period from 2015 – 2020, that aims at the general reduction of prevalence and incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country. In this framework, diabetes has been selected as the specific disease focus.

The SLMA diabetic initiative will prioritize Sri Lanka’s response to diabetes. This fits in well with SGDs health goal where, by 2030, countries are expected to reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases. It is appropriate that the World Health Organization is focusing on diabetes at this year’s World Health Day which falls on 7 April 2016 because the diabetes epidemic is rapidly increasing in many countries.

According to the national council for road safety, 2538 deaths occurred due to 2360 road accidents during the first 11 months of last year. Of these, 760 died due to motorcycles accidents and 726 were pedestrian casualties. It is no secret that we experience severe traffic congestion in the city every day.

The number of vehicles on the road has grown exponentially. As such, we should not be too surprised that so many road accidents are taking place.

As such, we also need to take remedial action urgently.

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Presidential...

One of the SDG targets refers to halving the deaths due to road traffic accidents by 2020. It is hoped that the authorities in Sri Lanka will seriously consider adopting this target as one of its main priorities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The National STD/AIDS Control Programme of the Ministry of Health plans to screen all pregnant women for HIV from this year.

Screening alone is not sufficient.

Those found positive have to be counselled and offered antiretroviral drugs for their own health, which would also prevent their babies from being infected. This is the strategy that is being followed globally to completely eliminate HIV in future generations.

I am confident that Sri Lanka can be one of the first countries in the South East Asia Region to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV within the next two years and end the epidemic of AIDS before the year 2030.

Another area of concern that is of relevance to healthcare providers as well as the general public is antibiotic resistance. Although antibiotic resistance is not a specific target under the new health goal, it has been alluded to in the SDG declaration recognizing that it is a growing threat that needs urgent attention. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of antibiotics. It is the bacteria not humans that become resistant. Infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, sepsis and gonorrhea are becoming more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.

In Sri Lanka, antibiotics can be bought over the counter without a prescription. Although we do have standard treatment guidelines, over prescription as well as over-use is prevalent. These practices add to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance.We urgently need to change the way antibiotics are prescribed and used. It is also worrying

10 January 2016

that very few new antibiotics are in the pipeline. Even if new drugs are developed, without behaviour change, antibiotic resistance will remain a major threat. If the status quo continues, a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill may not be too far away.

In conclusion, I wish to state that during my tenure of office, I, along with my new council will try to fulfill the objectives and aspirations of the Sri Lanka Medical Association. I hope that with the fullest support of all the members of the SLMA, we will be able to collaborate with both health and non-health stakeholders to advocate for issues that have been presented and assist in the implementation where possible within the confines of the core values of the SLMA. The following colleagues assisted me in the preparation of this address and I thank them sincerely.Many people have helped me to be what I am today. I thank my teachers at Ananda College and Visakha Vidyalaya for their guidance and imparting basic values which have helped me grow as a responsible human being. I salute my teachers at the Faculty of Medicine Colombo for imparting knowledge and skills that enabled me to pursue my chosen profession.

I am fortunate to be a member of the Colombo 75 Medics with whom I entered the Faculty of Medicine over four decades ago. Some of them are here tonight and I thank them for their support.I must acknowledge few persons whose influence has profoundly shaped my clinical career.

I thank most sincerely, the Late Dr Michael Abeyratne under whom I did internship. He was a hard taskmaster but kind to his house officers. Prof George Kinghorn who taught me the basics of STDs and instilled in me the value of clinical excellence, and the Late Dr Gamini Jayakuru who encouraged me to return to Sri Lanka and join the Anti VD Campaign.

I thank my medical colleagues and all other staff at the National STD/ AIDS Control Programme who gave me their whole hearted support during the 20 years I served that organization as a medical officer, a consultant and as the Director and Programme Manager. I also thank my colleagues at WHO Geneva and at WHO SEARO for their friendship and support.

I take this opportunity to thank the Honorary Secretary, Dr Neelamani Punchihewa, Vice presidents Dr G Weerasinghe and Dr Ruvaiz Haniffa, and the Asst Secretaries for their support; and Mr Rajasingham and his team at SLMA for logistics support.

I also thank Dr Amaya Ellawala for compering tonight, Dr Lasantha Malavige, CEO of Lassana Flora for the beautiful floral dĂŠcor.

My late father if not for whose untiring efforts I would not have been a doctor. My three brothers who tolerated the favouritism shown to me by our father and their wives who have enriched my life. My two daughters Manisha and Anoma are my pride and joy. They had to endure long periods of their life without me while I was pursuing my career. Their husbands Parakrama and Shenoj are to me the sons I never had. My four children now teach me life skills. I am truly blessed to have them. I must specially thank Manisha and Parakrama for their untiring efforts in helping to organize this event. My husband Ranjit has encouraged and supported me and stood by me always. Last, but certainly not least, I thank the lady who brought me in to this world. My beloved mother who has been my role model and my inspiration. She is 98 years old and is here to encourage me.

Thank you all for being here tonight on this very significant day in my life.

Your presence is a source of encouragement and is greatly appreciated.

I wish you all a peaceful, prosperous and a healthy 2016!

SLMANEWS

SLMA COU President

Immediate Past President

President Elect

Dr Iyanthi Abeyewickreme MBBS (Ceylon), Diploma in Venereology (London), MSc, MD (Colombo), FCVSL Hon. Senior Fellow, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine,University of Colombo Consultant Venereologist

Prof Jennifer Perera MBBS(Col), MD Microbiology (Col), Dip Women’s studies (Col), DipMedEd(Dundee) Dean, and Senior Professor & Head of Department, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

Prof Chandrika Wijeyaratne MBBS,MD(Medicine), DM (Col),FRCP(London) Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Honorary Consultant Physician (Obstetric Medicine & Endocrinology) De Soysa Hospital for Women Colombo, Sri Lanka

Honorary Secretary

Vice President

Vice President

Dr Neelamanie Punchihewa MBBS, DCH, MSC (Com Med), Fellow Sri Lanka College of Venereologists

Dr Ruvaiz Haniffa MBBS, PGDip, MSc, DFM, MD, FCGP, MRCGP Senior lecturer in Family Medicine, Family Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

Dr G Weerasinghe MD (USSR), MSc, MD (Com. Med), FRCP (Glasg) Fellow of Sri Lanka College of Venereologists (FSLCV) Consultant Venereologist

Hony. Assistant Secretary

Hony. Assistant Secretary

Hony. Assistant Secretary

Dr Manisha Abeyewickreme MBBS Medical Officer, National Hospital of Sri Lanka

Dr Hasini Banneheke MBBS, PG Dip(Med Micro), MD(Medical Parasit) Senior lecturer, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Dr Kushlani Jayatilleke MBBS (Colombo) PG Dip (Med Micro), MD (Medical Microbiology) Consultant Microbiologist, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital

Hony. Assistant Secretary

Honorary Treasurer

Honorary Assistant Treasurer

Dr Sumithra Tissera MBBS (Colombo), PG Dip in Health Development, MSc (Lond) Medical Director, Family Planning Association Sri Lanka

Dr Samanthi de Silva MBBS (Colombo), MBA (Health Care Services) Manipal Group Medical Director, Hemas Hospitals Pvt Ltd.

Dr Priyantha Batagalla MBBS, PG Dip(Venereology), MD (Venereology) Senior Registrar in Venereology National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Colombo

Public Relation Officer

Past President’s Representative

Social Secretary

Dr. Kalyani Guruge MBBS (Ceylon), MD(Paediatrics) Consultant Paediatrician

Deshamanya Vidyajyothi Dr J B Peiris MD, FRCP Consultant Neurologist, Nawaloka Hospital, Colombo

Dr B.J.C.Perera MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lon), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, FCGP(SL) Consultant Paediatrician

Social Secretary

Co-Editor (Ceylon Medical Journal)

Co-Editor (Ceylon Medical Journal)

Dr. M.L. Christo Fernando.

MBBS (Col), MACEP, DHA, MBA Chairman, Philip Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd, Kalutara South

Prof. Varuni A. de Silva MBBS, MD, FSLCOP Professor in Psychiatry Department of Psychological Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo Sri Lanka

Dr Anuruddha M Abeygunasekera MRCS Urological Surgeon, Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila

Council Members Dr Dennis J Aloysius

Dr Lucian Jayasuriya

Dr Sarath Gamini de Silva

MBBS, FCGP, FSLCPaed, Hon. FCCP Family Physician

MBBS (Cey.), DTPH (Dist.) (Lond.), Hony. Privileges of Board Certification in Medical Administration (PGIM), Senior Fellow of the PGIM (Col.)

MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRACP, FCCP Consultant Physician, Colombo

12 January 2016

SLMANEWS

UNCIL 2016 Dr Sunil Seneviratne Epa

Dr Anula Wijesundere

Prof Saroj Jayasinghe

MD Consultant Physician, Matara Nursing Home, Matara

MBBS (Cey), MD (Cey), FRCP (Lond), FCCP, DCH (Lond), DGM (Lond), Hony FRACP Consultant Physician, Hony. Professor Medicine, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University

MBBS, MD, FRCP, FCCP, MD (Bristol) Consultant Physician, Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

Dr Neelamanie S Rajapaksa Hewageegana

Prof Vajira H. W. Dissanayake

Dr Pramilla Senanayake,

MBBS, PhD Professor in Anatomy & Medical Geneticist University of Colombo

MBBS, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, FSLCOG Medical Consultant, Reproductive Health

Dr Gamini Walgampaya

Dr Kapila Jayaratne

Dr Ranil Jayawardena

MBBS,FCGP Family Physician

MBBS, DCH, MSc, MD(Com Med) Consultant Community Physician, National Programme Manager – Maternal & Child Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance, Ministry of Health

MBBS, HND, MSc, PhD, Rnutr Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo

Dr Amaya Ellawala

Dr Indika Karunathilake

Dr. Achala Upendra Jayatilleke

MBBS, PGDME Lecturer, Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

MBBS, DMedEd, MMEdEd Senior Lecturer in Medical Education and Director, Medical Education Development & Research Centre (MEDARC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

MBBS (Pera), PgDISM(Col). MBA(Pera), MSc-BMI(Col), MHSc(Tokyo), PhD(Tokyo) Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Informatics, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine University of Colombo

MD (Romania), MSc (Sri Lanka), MD Merit (Sri Lanka), PhD (Sheffield Hallam, UK) Consultant Medical Administrator, DDG Planning, Ministry of Health

Prof Samath D Dharmaratne

Dr Pradeepa Jayawardena

Dr Romanie T Fernando

MBBS, MSc, MD(Com Med) Associate Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

MBBS (Col), PhD (Peradeniya) Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

MBBS, MD Senior Lecturer, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine & Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Dr S M J Upeksha Samarakoon

Dr Sajith Edirisinghe

Dr Shihan Azeez

MBBS Medical officer, Chest clinic, Nuwaraeliya

MBBS Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

MBBS, Dip Med Microbiology Ministry of Health

Dr U C P Perera MBBS DLM MD MA LLB DMJ MFFLM (UK) Attorney-at-Law, Medico-legal Specialist, Senior Lecturer and Head Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle

SLMANEWS

January 2016 13

PRESIDENTIAL INDUCTION

14 January 2016

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CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS

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January 2016 15

FIRST COUNCIL MEETING OF 2016

T

he first Council Meeting of the year was held on 1st of January 2016 at the Council Room, SLMA. After fellowship, the oil lamp was lit and the Council meeting was commenced with the singing of the National Anthem. As the first item in the agenda, a photograph of the Immediate Past President, Professor Jennifer Perera was ceremonially unveiled by the President, Dr. Iyanthi Abeyewickreme. In her speech the President thanked Professor Jennifer Perera for the invaluable service rendered by her to SLMA.

18 January 2016

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16

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January 2016 19

Press Release

A

n emergency meeting of the SLMA council was convened on 27th January, 2016 at the SLMA office to discuss the "controversy on kidney transplantations carried out in Private Hospitals on Indian nationals".

27th January 2016

The council discussed the matter and decided to release a press statement. The press statement published in leading news papers is given below.

Sri Lanka Medical Association Press Release

Kidney Transplants in Private Hospitals in Sri Lanka The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) is concerned about the references made against some members of the medical profession in litigation initiated in India pertaining to certain kidney transplants on Indian nationals carried out in Sri Lanka. The report of the inquiring committee appointed by the Ministry of Health will shed more light on this matter.

All organ transplants carried out in Sri Lanka are authorised by the Ministry of Health. The SLMA calls on the Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders to strengthen current guidelines and procedures for organ transplant programmes including the implementation of the National Organ Donor Programme for Deceased Donor Organ Transplants. It is important to strengthen the capacity of ethics committees in hospitals to implement these guidelines and monitor these programmes.

This would serve as a deterrent to trafficking of human organs, if any, for the purpose of transplantation in Sri Lanka.

FIRST MONTHLY CLINICAL MEETING OF THE SLMA FOR 2016 By.Dr.Kushlani Jayathilaka (Assistant secretary-SLMA)

F

irst monthly clinical meeting of the SLMA for 2016 was held on 19th of January from 12 noon to 1.30pm at the SLMA Auditorium in collaboration with the Sri

20 January 2016

Lanka College of Paediatricians. The topic was “Approach to a child with hypocalcaemia�. Dr. Navoda Attapattu, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist and Dr. Udeni Kollurege, Senior Registrar in Paediatric Endocrinology were the resource persons at this meeting.

SLMANEWS

The Annual General Meeting of SLMA

BATTLING MICROBES Microbes responsible for communicable disease caused so much devastation Morbidity and mortality were enormous without exaggeration Thanks to antibiotics discovered in nineteen twenties Mankind felt triumphant, safe, secure and at ease.

A

nnual General Meeting of SLMA was held on 17th December 2015 at 7pm in the SLMA Auditorium. Dr. Ranil Jayewardene presented the secretarys report for the year 2015. Members to the new council were elected.

Thanks to advances in pharmacology and therapeutics, most remarkable Conquest of microbes of all types was thought achievable Many believed that the enemies’ days are numbered But that was the view of those who were blinkered!

Within a few decades the microbes began retaliating This was to be expected, as it was man’s own making Main cause being abuse more than use responsible, Humanity stands to lose with “magic bullets” freely available.

Microbes ingenuity to mutate and resist assault Humans failed to expect – losing by default With hindsight, man has to be more discreet Not to abuse “magic bullets” and the same blunder to repeat Times are approaching when diseases communicable will reign supreme Success stories are few – need not be euphoric in the extreme!

Hope mankind learns to practice with minds well trained!

Medi.com.ic

Problem is serious with few new formulations in the pipe line Burden on economy awesome as costs do not decline “Magic bullets” have their own side effects causing ill health as well Whether we could reverse the trend only time will tell!

Dr. N. Amarasekera Life member, SLMA

by Prof Saroj Jayasinghe

MALARIA COUNT

2016 22 January 2016

Cases To Date

05

Read: Obesity Reviews. 2013:14 (Suppl 1), 120-134. S Friel et al., (open access).

Judicious, sensible use gave way to freedom unrestrained

All cases are imported !

Let’s keep Sri Lanka Malaria free

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1344

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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE SRI LANKA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

If undelivered return to : Sri Lanka Medical Association. No. 6, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7 Registered at the Department of Post Under No: QD/30/NEWS/2016