On Thursday 28th instant evening, medical students of the first intake will be receiving their garlands from The Chancellor signifying their graduation as MBBS doctors, a momentous occasion for these young men and women and their families. For a medical faculty which has had to endure many difficulties, it is indeed a major achievement to see almost the whole batch graduating today, among them six with First classes.
The idea of a medical school for Wayamba was first mooted during the last Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and it was suggested to locate the Medical School at Kurunegala. However, no progress was made. When the Government changed in 2014 and Akila Viraj Kariyawasam became Minister of Education with Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister; a decision was taken to construct the buildings for the pre-clinical departments, an Auditorium along with lecture and tutorial rooms plus administrative and hostel facilities at Labuyaya. The work on the buildings commenced sometime in 2016.
Sometime in early 2018, I was surprised to receive a visit from the then Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ekanayake and the Registrar Chitrananda. They said they had heard that there was a former Professor who was mainly involved in coconut cultivation, living in a remote village at the edge of the Gampaha district not too far from Kuliyapitiya and had decided to pay me a visit. At this meeting with the two of them, they invited me to join the staff full time, but I said I was unable to do so. They, however, requested I take a look at the copy of the curriculum and request for equipment they had brought along. Which I did and submitted my observations.
Sometime in July 2018, The Medical School was fortunate enough to get the services of Professor M.D. Lamawansa from the Dept. of Surgery, University of Peradeniya to be the Dean. Soon Drs. Chandimal and Nandalal Gunaratne were recruited for Anatomy, Prof. P.H.P.Fernando from The Peradeniya Medical School came over on sabbatical leave and Dr. Jeevathayaparan was also recruited to the Dept. of Biochemistry while Dr. Nayomi Ranathunga and Dr. Marsh Muthuthamby were appointed to Physiology with me as a Hony. Visiting Fellow. Prof. Lamawansa was an excellent organiser and soon set about drafting not only the curriculum but also the by-laws etc.
Since the buildings at Labuyaya would not be ready for at least a year or more, a building close to the main campus at Kuliyapitiya was rented out for offices for the academic and administrative staff on the ground floor and for Biochemistry and Physiology laboratories on the upper floor. By its very nature Anatomy had to be provided with another building to house dissection rooms, facilities for storing bodies etc. An old university building, across the road, was refurbished for this purpose. Lecture and tutorial facilities were provided in one of the new buildings meant for The Faculty of Applied Sciences. Though the latter facilities were some distance away, if one decided not to drive their vehicle to this building, it was a pleasant walk across a lake.
In November 2018, our first batch, almost all of whom are graduating today, entered the faculty. The first 8 weeks were spent doing introductory courses – English and Computing. On 1st January 2019, the Batch began its preclinical course. I had the honour of delivering their very first lecture – “Introduction to Physiology”. Thus began their career as medical students. Sometime early in 2020, Prof. Lamawansa had to leave to take up his position as ambassador for Sri Lanka in Russia.
We, members of the faculty were left wondering who was to take on the ponderous task of taking the new Faculty forward; when up stepped this relatively young Senior Lecturer who was willing and as time has shown extremely able to take on this onerous task of steering the faculty in its formative years. Dr. Sanjeeva Bowatte is his name. Though he was relatively young, his fine head of grey hair lent a sense of authority. It is to him that this Faculty and those who are graduating today owe a deep sense of gratitude. Dr. Bowatte is an indefatigable worker, excellent organiser, not to mention his ability and willingness to not only teach Medicine but take on lectures in many other courses when departments were short of staff.
When the crisis arose as to where final year teaching of the first batch should take place, The Govt. of the day, decided on Kurunegala to locate the Professorial wards. With his connections, at what is now The Teaching Hospital Kurunegala, Dr. Bowatte with the support of the Faculty, The University Administration along with the Director of Kurunegala Hospital and consultants at Kurunegala, students of the first batch, their parents and well-wishers took on the unenvious task of setting up the Professorial units in old wards that had been vacated after construction of a new building, along with ‘the Covid’ wards which were no longer needed. Teaching in the final year began as planned to enable the 1st Batch to start their Professorial training in time to sit for the nationwide common MCQ paper planned to be held in November 2024. Ancillary facilities were not always ideal but at least enough to keep the students satisfied and to do their learning with great enthusiasm and vigor. Their final MBBS examination results now prove the point that if one is determined, success can be achieved.
Mention must also be made of the contributions from almost the very beginning of Prof. Suji Wickremasinghe and Prof. Kodikara from Peradeniya, Prof. Jennifer Perera from Colombo and Prof. Pathmeswaran from Kelaniya who served as Visiting Professors. Prof. Priyantha Perera who joined the Faculty as Professor of Paediatrics from Kelaniya quite early in the history of the Faculty, continues to make a very significant contribution not only in teaching Paediatrics but also by serving and chairing several important committees. Dr Thusitha Somaratna, a Pathologist by profession, joined and took on the brunt of organising and teaching in the paraclinical phase single handedly for several years.
Many senior teachers from other faculties too contributed greatly to ensuring that the training of the First Batch was not found wanting. Drs. Chandimal and Jeevathayaparan have also helped the Dean in many ways to ensure an excellent execution of the teaching programme and in looking after the welfare of the students. Finally, the Faculty says a big thank you to local as well as foreign donors who came forward to grant scholarships to support those students in financial need and provide equipment for the clinical professorial units.
However good the buildings are. The graduating class of 2018 owes a debt of gratitude to the faculty members, Visiting lecturers and Clinical teachers at both Kuliyapitiya and Kurunegala as well as those in other specialised units, who in doing their teaching both didactic and clinical, gave their fullest corporation and did their very best. No University can function efficiently and effectively without the support of the non-academic staff. The contribution of the several Assistant registrars, Assistant librarians, the nursing staff in the Kuliyapitiya and Kurunegala hospitals, and clerical and laboratory staff in ensuring the efficient delivery of the education process and clinical training is greatly appreciated.
The support of the Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Udith Jayasinghe, The Registrar, Chithrananda and the members of the University Senate is gratefully acknowledged. So too the help and support of the Chairmen of the UGC both past and present.
This pioneering batch has worked hard despite many shortcomings and at times financial difficulties to achieve almost 100% success. Congratulations to them all, especially the winners of the Gold Medals. May they all become competent, computer literate and equally importantly, compassionate and caring doctors.
Dr. Asoka S. Dissanayake 
Former Visiting Fellow and Member of the Faculty Board
from The Island https://ift.tt/teRLUbj
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