COLOMBO MEDICS 63 BLOG
In a blog (=web-log), unlike in a website, interaction is the key - you can add your thoughts and opinions and it gets updated regularly, with your help. Blogs are informal and you can let yourself loose. You can add articles, photos, jokes, pictures or discuss issues or communicate directly with me at jbpeiris@hotmail.com. This will help us to compile material for the souvenir.
At the very beginning - the 1st MBBS, Faculty of Science, University of Ceylon, Thurstan Road, Colombo 3
This premedical year at the Science faulty doing the same subjects and syllabus as for the University Entrance examination was considered by many a waste of time. For many especially those from Colombo Boys schools and convents it was the first exposure to co-education. Many made good use of the opportunity, some even embarking on life long partnerships!
There were no major highlights during the year except that we had entered the hallowed portals of the University of Ceylon and were taught Physics, Chemistry and Biology by University
University of Colombo, Thurstan Rd/Reid Avenue
First day at Colombo Medical school
We entered the Medical faculty with the trepidation of having to face the 'rag' with many unsavoury episodes from the past. However, the 'rag' was curtailed to just half a day because of ethnic related riots we faced for the first time in 1958. For the boys (some of us were still in our teens) it was just an unmatching pair of shoes.
The photos of those who entered are reproduced from the admission cards which were obtained from the Archives with the kind curtsey of the Dean. This will give an idea of how youthful and fresh you looked about 56 years ago, with 'Brylcreem' on the hair or 'Lacto Calamine' on the face!
If any photos are not included please send a photo during medical school days.
A-------
Neil Abeysekara - is a Family Physician in Divulapitiya, and was the President of the College of General Pratitioners a few years ago
S Abeysuriya - not with us
Pat Allegacone - DNA (details not available) please add if you know
Abdul Hameed - consultant surgeon, worked in Sri Lanka and Oman for sometime. Unfortunately no longer with us
S Alahendra - US Psychiatrist - tragic accident in US
Amarasingham - no details available. Please provide ?no longer with us
Lalith Amarasuriya - DNA - please provide
Arasaratnam -DNA
Arunachalam - no longer with us
D Ayaru -DNA
B-----------------
K BALASINGHAM in USA
AML Beligaswatta - GU surgeon in Kandy, also Directore, GH Kandy and later Director of the Health Services.
Piloo Billimoria - consultant Neurologist in Australia ?Melbourne,
Tony Brough - Anaesthesiologist in Australia (Melbourne?) unfortunately not with us
C---------------
Phyllis Cabraal - Consultant Pathologist, Colombo
Siva Chellathurai (Ketharathas) -
GP,UK
Suneetha Cumaratunga - consultant anaesthesiologist, Sri Lanka
D-------------
Cynthia de Livera - Cons. ENT Surgeon, Colombo
KKVW de Silva - Family Physician, Panadura - no more with us
Chandra de Silva - no longer with us
Cyril de Silva - no longer with us
Dharmawardena -DNA
Lali de Silva - ? in Oz
Malcolm de Silva - Consultant Rheumatologist, UK
WGR (Gamini) de Silva - Physician Sri Lanka
Audrey de Zylva - Private sector, Melbourne -,
Quintus de Zylva -Cardiac Physician, Melbourne
Roland Dharmasuriya - DNA
PLR (Bobby) Dias - Physiologist, Sri Lanka, Oman
Ubhaya Dias - no more with us
E-----------------
AT Ekanyake, DNA
F----------------
Colin Fernando - Oz-
Marcus Fonseka - no more with us
Aravinda Gautamadasa- Cons.in O&G - Colombo
M Gunaratnam - DNA
Celine Gunaratne - not with us
(Mrs Sydney Kumaranayake)
L Gunaratne - DNA
BDP Gunawardena
DUR Gunawardena - Con.Physician, Colombo
G Harris - Oz
K Janaganathan - ?UK
Mahinda Jayasinghe, Cardiologist, USA
KDP Jayatilaka, Family physician, SL
K---------------------
D R Karunaratne, Cons. Paediatrician . Ex Director, LRH
Vimala Kanagasingham, Physician, SL
N Kandasamy
D Kandiah, not with us
BAP Karunaratne, Physician, SL
HB Karunaratne, Cardiologist, Florida
NA Karunaratne, surgeon, UK
HIE Katugaha - Family Physicia, Kandy
R Ketharathas - UK Family physician
Krishnathasan, UK
Chintha Kurukulasuriya, physician,SL
Ilanga Kurukulasuriya, pathologist, UK
L---------------------
Trevor Labrooy, Oz
Lawrence - details not known
Sudassa Lecamwasam - no more with us
Marina Lovell - USA
M-------------------------
HM Mauroof - GP Katugastota
Eric Mendis - no more
Upali Mendis - Cons. Eye Surgeon, former Director VMEH,
Nalini Mendis -Consultant Microbiologist, UK
SI Malalagama
N----------------
N Nadaraja, Prof of surgery, Rochester,USA
N Naganathan, OZ Physician
Stanley Nalliah, GP, UK
Gamini Nanyakkara, Cons. Psych, UK
Nirmalanathan - Consultant Ophthalmologist,UK
Fowzie Nizar - GP UK
P----------------
EMC Perera - no more
PAJC Perera Consultant Physiacia, Anaheim, California
D Pakstun - GP, UK
Indra PandithaGunawardena - USA Baton Rouge
C Pathmanathan - Consultant Radiologist, UK
Peiris JB - Consultant Neurologist, exec Director,PGIM, Uni of Colombo, Chairman Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital
Rosemary Peiris - GP, UK
Perera Davy - No more with us
Damayanthi Perera, Wellington, NZ
Manel Perera ?Oz
Norbert Perera, cardiac Surgeon, Toronto
Alfred Perera Forensic Psychiatrist, UK
Remy Perumal, Cons. Physician UK RemPerum@aol.com,
R-----------------
Rajachandran, GP, UK
YS Rajapakse, Community Med. Consultant, Bedford, UK
NRajasekaran, Cons. pathologist, UK
Family Physician, Colombo - Initiated the Medi-calls in Colombo.
V Rajeswaran - UK - no more with us
K Rajagopal - no more with us
WY Rambukwella, NZ
Nihal Ranasinghe, UK, Psychiatrist, no more with us
DK Ranatunga -DNA
AM Rodrigo - Sri Lanka
Daya Rodrigo, Cons.surgeon, GHC
MRI Salgado, Cons. Geriatrician, Oz
HHR Samarasinghe, Cons. Phytsician, Colombo
BA Samuel
S Sathananthan, Cons.Psych. OZ
Sebestaianpillai - Cons.Psychiatrist, UK
Senaratyapa, SL, Not with us
K Shanmuganathan, surgeon, UK
Shanmugarajan, DNA
GSQuintus Silva, Physician, Saudi
B Sivacolonthu
Sivaguru-DNA
Sivakumaran- DNA
Sivanandasingham-DNA
Sivananthan-DNA
Sivapathasunderam - Cons. Paediatricianm Jaffna - tragic death at hands of IPKF
Sivarajasingham -DNA
Sivasubramaniam - No more
J Solomons DNA
SriSkandaraja -DNA
Ainsley Stanislaus - cons Rheumat and Rehab, Kandy
RL Thambyraja, cons in O&G, Singapore - no more
RSTheagaraja, Paediatrician, UK - no more
Tilakaratne - DNA
V----------------
MG Vedamuttu
Vickneswaradasan -DNA
Charlotte Vithana
W---------------------------
Ira Wakkumbura
WR Wanasinghe - DNA
Doris Wannigama - Cons. Psych.USA
Susiri Weerasekara - Cons. Ortho. Colombo
Malin Weeratne, Cons Physician, Boston
Siri Wickremasinghe - Cons.Microbiologist, no longer with us
Sumana Wickremasekara, GP,UK
Victor Wickremasinghe - O&G, USA
Manel Wijesuriya, Family Physician, Colombo - no more
R Wimalasena - GP UK
Yoganathan - no more
I need the photographs of SKP, Nangi, Other Wijeratne and a few more. Preferably photos from 1958-63 or soon after graduation
--and only memories of .......
S Abeysuriya Abdul Hameed S Alahendra
KKVW de Silva Chandra de Silva Cyril de Silva
Ubhaya Dias Marcus Fonseka Gunaratnam
D Kandiah AGS Karunanayake S Lecamawasam
Eric Mendis Davy Perera V Rajeswaran
Rajagopal Nihal Ranasinghe Sarvananthan
Senaratyapa Sivanesan Sivapathasunderam
Sivasubramaniam RL Thambyraja RS Theagaraja
Siri Wickremasinghe Manel Wijesuriya Yoganathan
BDP Gunawardena EMC Perera Celine Gunaratne
Kandasamy
----and our sympathies with the familiers and friends
(I hope there are no errors)
HISTORY OF THE COLOMBO MEDICAL
SCHOOL.
The Ceylon Medical School was
opened in June 1870 by the then Governor Sir
Hercule Robinson. It was the second European medical school to be
established in South Asia. The oldest medical
school in South Asia was the Bengal Medical College.
In 1876, Mudaliyar S. Rajapakse, J.P., donated to the Government the
land on which the present medical faculty stands. Other philanthropists donated buildings at
this site. These buildings are no more.
In the 1960s, the buildings which stood in the Kynsey road block was
the Administration block,
ADMINSTRATION BLOCK OF THE COLOMBO MEDICAL FACULTY – has not
changed
ANATOMY BLOCK
Physiology block
Further down Kynsey road the De
Soysa Maternity home and the Main Quarters for intern medical officers have
stood with little change . Top right floor was Prof.
DA Ransinghe’s ward, while below it on the left was Dr Prins Rajaratnam’s ward.
Dr
James Loos was its first principal. Dr. E.L.Koch was the second principal in
whose memory the Koch memorial clock tower, which still stands, was built in
1881. In the Ceylon Medical College students had to pay 3 guineas for a term.
The Ceylon Medical College and the University College were incorporated to form the University of Ceylon in 1942, and the Medical College became the Faculty of Medicine. From this time onwards the medical students passing out from the medical college were conferred the degree of M.B.B.S
Our main training in Medicine and Surgery, was in the General Hospital, Colomboand in Obstetrics in the De Soysa Maternity hospital
KYNSEY RD ENTRANCE TO GHC
Charles
Henry de Soysa also built some of Medical College buildings. The grateful public of Ceylon erected a statue in memory of
Sir Charles Henry de Soysa, at the Lipton’s circus. This statue shows Sir
Charles holding a key in his hand to signify that he was ever ready to open his
vault and give to the deserving of all faiths
The only new building on Kynsey Road is the Institute of Neurology,
which was built from 1981-84,
entirely from public donations in a short space of 3 years. This all inclusive
building, the result of tireless efforts of man who neither had money nor land
but had the desire to achieve his ambition of building an Institute of
Neurology. This Institute has encouraged the younger medical officers to take
up Neurology as a specialty. From the original, single neurologist for the
country, there are now over 30.
Further down Kynsey Road is the Institute of Cardiology which was partly from donations, initiated by the then Cardiologist Dr Ivor Obeysekara.
These two Institutes have encoraged postgraduates to take up the specialties of Neurology and Cardiology, ensuring that Sri Lanka has adequate well trained Neurologists and Cardiologists.
Further down Kynsey Road is the Institute of Cardiology which was partly from donations, initiated by the then Cardiologist Dr Ivor Obeysekara.
These two Institutes have encoraged postgraduates to take up the specialties of Neurology and Cardiology, ensuring that Sri Lanka has adequate well trained Neurologists and Cardiologists.
Our teachers
ANATOMY
The Colombo Medical School was opened on the 1st of June, 1870. Dr. James Loos became its first Principal. He also taught physiology and principles and practices of medicine. In addition to Dr. Loos, the school had two other teachers; Dr. R. Andree who taught Anatomy and Surgery and Dr. E.L. Koch who taught materia medica and midwifery.
The chair in Anatomy was created in 1927. Since then many distinguished men have been appointed to the chair in Anatomy. They were Dr. A. Gordon Smith (1927 - 1929), Dr. W. C. Osman Hill (1930 - 1944), Prof. P.K Chanmugam (1945-1960), Prof. M.J. Waas (1960-1967), Prof. F.L.W. Jayawardene (1967-1975), Prof. P.S.S. Panditharatne (1975 - 1998) and Prof Rohan Jayasekara (199 to date)P
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FIRST REUNION IN SRI LANKA |
Probably the first reunion of MEDICS 63 in Sr Lanka in 1986 at Hotel Intercontinental - one of the few hotels at that time in addtion to Galle Face and Taj Samudra.
From L to Right: DUR, Beligaswatta, Katu, Daya Rod, Paltha de Abrew, HHR, D R Karu, Gamini Karunananyake#, Gamini de S, Neil Abeysekara (# = deceased)
ON FLOOR: Upali M, Bongo Raj, Neil Abey, D R Karu, JB, GSQuintus Silva, Gamini de S
SEATED: Bobby Dias, Nalini Rodrigo, Senatyapa, Phyllis Cabraal, Manel Perera, Suneetha K, (?spouse),(?spouse), Cynthia, Manel Wije, (?spouse)
STANDING: Sobitha Panditharatne, Spouse Jayasuriya, SAQW Gunawardena, Gamini Karu, Ganegoda(souse), HHR, DUR, Daya R, Beligas, Stanislaus, Palitha de A, Katu, (?0, (?),(?), Lalitha Katu, Mrs DUR, Rose Peiris, (???? spouses)
FIRST REUNION - WELCOME SPEECH JB
NEAR TABLE : Stanislaus, Suneetha, HHR, Beligas
More from first reunion
KKVWijesoma de Silva, Upali, Bobby, Day, Katu
Bongo Raj, JB, Gamini K, Stan, Palitha's back
Naughty, Naughty - what is he upto with the shy Swarna Senaratyapa!
Daya, JB, Thamby, RSB - sadly only left half remain
Manel, JB, Cynthia, Beli
SILVER JUBILEE 1988 - OCEAN VILLA, WADDUWA
Cake cutting - Celine K (Canada), JB (SL), Sumana (UK)
NEIL, GAMINI AND MARCUS
Celine, Vimala, Shelton A, Gamini
D R with son, HHR, Raj
sing a litlle louder!
chew a little harder, Wijesoma
Hey, medics 63 produced mostly girls!
40 TH ANNIVERSARY
AT MT LAVINIA BEACH WITH SPOUSES
 |
SEATED: Shoiba Hameed, Gamini Nana, Rose Peiris, Chinta K, JB, Padma Rajapakse#, Sriyani Samarasinghe, HHR, Rynee Mendis,
STANDING: Perera (Chinta's), Manel W#, Susiri W, (?), Abdul Hameed#, Mrs Neil Abey, (?), RK Thas, Lalithya Katu, Neil Abey, (?), Rajasekaran, Siva Chellathurai, YS Raj, Mrs Susiri, Gamini Karu#.Shelton Atta, D R Karu, Upali M, Katu, Sobitha Panditharatne#, KDP Jayatilaka.
FIRST COMBINED REUNION OF MEDICS 63,62,64 (2003) OUR BATCH  STANDING: Beligas, Shelton, Muthucumarana, Doris, Quintus behind her, Daya, Upali, Bal, Ilanga, JB(behind her), Vimala, Audrey, Thas, Phyllis, Hameed, Marie, Chinta, Siva, Manel, Pat, Ayaru
SECOND COMBINED REUNION OF MEDICS 63, 62 AND 64
 Thas, Upali, Siva, Chinta, Vimala, Pathmanathan, Colin Fernando, JB, Raj, HHR, KDP jayatilaka, DR, Gamini Karunanayake, Neil, Susiri |
