University of Ruhuna Colors Nite 2018/2019

The biannual Colors Nite of University of Ruhuna for years 2018 and 2019 was held in a glamorous way at Rabindranath Tagore auditorium, University of Ruhuna on 27 th March 2021.The Vice Chancellor Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena, grabbed the occasion as the ChiefGuest. Col.(Dr.) Saveen Semage, a proud product of Ruhuna was the Guest of Honor.185 athletes received colors in the evening and 66 athletes were awarded the best player awards.14 athletes who made mother Ruhuna proud nationally and internationally were honored withspecial awards. Miss H.P.A.Jayamini, Faculty of Engineering won the award for the recipient of highest numberof colors. The supreme award of the evening, Most Outstanding Player award has been won by Miss S.U.S.B.Wijewickrama of Faculty of Agriculture.

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Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions- 2020, February 03rd 2021

Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions (FMAS) – 2020 was successfully held on 03rd of February, at T.W. Wickramanayake Auditorium, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna under the theme “Viral Pandemics: A New Beginning”. It was held under COVID-19 regulations. The Chief Guest was Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ruhuna. Keynote Address was delivered on “Hopes with COVID-19 crisis. Are there any?” by Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, Consultant Physician, National Institute of Infectious Diseases. FMAS oration entitled “Institutionalization of Postpartum Intrauterine Device Service: A story of successful Implementation” was delivered by Dr. Lanka Dasanayake, Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. Dean’s award ceremony was also held in line with the inauguration ceremony and three medical students were offered the Dean’s award for overall good performance in 2020 by the participation of the Vice Chancellor, Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena and Prof. Vasantha Devasiri, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. Morning sessions after the inauguration was enriched with FMAS symposium on “Life in the time of COVID: Winning battles and forging ahead”. Symposium subthemes were “Fresh insights and new directions in university education” by Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena, “Role of viral diagnostics in living with the pandemic” by Dr Nayomi Danthanarayana, Consultant Virologist, Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, “Transforming the ETU:Leading the way in making hospital safe for all” by Dr Ganaka Senaratne, Consultant Physician,Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, and “Forging Ahead with COVID-19” by Dr Lasantha Malavige Consultant in Sexual Medicine and Chairman Lassana Group of companies. There were four presentations on completed post graduate research projects. The free paper session included both oral presentations (both open and undergraduate categories) and poster presentations. Best and commended places for oral and poster presentations were selected separately for open category and the undergraduate category. Prof.Vasantha Devasiri, Dean, Faculty of Medicine awarded the certificates to the winners. Prof R S Janaka Lenora and Dr. Pushpika Jayawardena were the Chairperson and Secretary of FMAS-2020.

Galle – Where the illustrious past of western medicine intertwines with the dawn of the future of medicine in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is credited as having the earliest documented institutions dedicated to the care of the sick anywhere in the world, namely the lying-in-homes and the ayurvedic hospitals (Sivikasoththisala) built by King Pandukabhaya (437 BC to 367 BC). There are documentary references to the Portuguese introducing western (allopathic) medicine to Sri Lanka and starting the first hospital in Mannar. The architectural genius of the Dutch who used Cabook (Coral stone) for their thick walled buildings granite for flooring has made the very first hospital constructed by them survive to this day in Galle.

The Dutch took over the Galle Fort from the Portuguese in 1640. Till the Colombo Fort was taken over is 1656, Galle remained the administrative headquarters of the Dutch. Jan Carstens of Tonningen was the first surgeon appointed. According to archives, his contract as surgeon was ‘renewed’ in 1643 for ‘another 3 years’ by the Council of the Town of Galle. This helps to narrow down the period of starting of the hospital to a time between 1640-1643. In contrast, the Dutch hospital in Colombo Fort was built in 1669. Thus, the Dutch hospital in Galle remains the oldest remaining hospital premises where western medicine was practiced and its history precedes that of the Colombo Dutch hospital. The British expanded the hospital and after independence when a more modern hospital was built in Galle town, it served for a long period as the town administrative office (the Kachcheri). Today the buildings have been restored preserving the Dutch architecture and houses a plush shopping and dining precinct.

In fulfilling the traditions of Galle as a centre of medical excellence spanning three hundred years, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ruhuna was started in Galle in 1980. Today it is a thriving medical teaching and treatment centre, having an undergraduate population of nearly 1000 future doctors and catering to the health needs of a vast number of patients from the Southern part of Sri Lanka.

Harshini Rajapakse and Arosha Dissanayake

Faculty of Medicine

Old Dutch Hospital in Fort, Galle