Deshamanya Dr Surendra Ramachandran | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1934 |
| Died | 2010 |
| Nationality |  Sri Lankan |
| Education | University of Colombo Royal College Colombo |
| Occupation(s) | Consultant Physician and Nephrologist |
| Employer | Ministry of Health Sri Lanka |
| Known for | Founder of Sri Lankas First Dialysis Unit, Medical Researcher, Medical Teacher |
| Title | Deshamanya Dr |
Deshamanya Surendra Ramachandran, FRCP was a Sri Lankan Physician and Nephrologist. He was the founder of Sri Lankas First Dialysis Unit.
Educated at Royal College Colombo, he studied medicine Colombo Medical College now known as Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo where he obtained first class honours in the 2nd, 3rd and final MBBS examinations with distinctions in Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Bacteriology, Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He was awarded the Vaithilingam Gold Medal in Physiology, Loos Gold Medal in Pathology, Andrew Caldecott Gold Medal for the best performance in the final MBBS, Dadabhoy Gold Medal for Medicine and the Perry exhibition for the best performance in the final MBBS. [1]
He was then awarded the British Council scholarship and trained in the University College Hospital, London passing MRCP London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and subsequently became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. [2] He was awarded the Smith and Nephew Fellowship to the UK in 1969, where he trained in the renal unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London.
Ramachandran was committed to performing research throughout his career and much of it was done at a time when there was no formal funding or encouragement from the Ministry of Health, although his primary area of specialisation was nephrology his research reflected the General Medical Practice in rural Sri Lanka at the time and a strong commitment to General Internal Medicine throughout his distinguished career. His research publications covered nephrology, malaria, typhoid, [3] diabetes, alcohol induced disease, Health care in the elderly, hepatic amoebiasis, [4] [5] and leptospirosis. [6]
He worked at National Hospital Sri Lanka alongside colleagues such as Dr J.B. Peiris, Rezvi Sheriff US Jayawickrama and AH Sheriffdeen. He was the founder of the Dialysis unit (with Rezvi Sheriff) and the Medical Intensive Care Unit (with US Jayawickrama) at National Hospital Sri Lanka, the first in a Sri Lankan Government Hospital.
He was a much sought after teacher and students whose research and clinical careers followed in his footsteps include Vidya Jothi Professor Janaka de Silva (research on Alcoholism), Professor Devaka Fernando (research in Diabetes, kidney disease and setting up dialysis units) and Dr Chula Herath (Clinical Nephrology).
Ramachandran was awarded the Sir Marcus Fernando Gold Medal three times speaking on "Renal Complications of Diabetes", "Hepatic Amoebiasis" and "Problems in Renal Failure", [7] The SC Paul Gold Medal twice speaking on the "Young Diabetic", and "Alcoholism and Drug Addiction" [8] the PB Fernando Gold Medal speaking on "Medical Problems of the Elderly", the Kandy Society of Medicine Oration speaking on "Renal Failure" the Pasupathi Memorial Oration on "Alcoholic Liver Disease" and The E.M. Wijerama Endowment Gold Medal 1999. [9] He was the recipient of 14 gold medal orations [10]
He was awarded the titles Deshamanya and Vidyaj Jothi for his work for the nation by the government of Sri Lanka. He was President of the Ceylon College of Physicians 1990-1991 [11] and The Sri Lanka Medical Association in 1997 with his protege Devaka Fernando a full Professor of Medicine acting as his secretary. [12] Ramachandran is credited with initiating the SLMA foundation sessions, adding an extension to the SLMA building and laying the groundwork for involving the SLMA in World Bank Projects. The University of Jaffna awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree. [13]
Like his colleague U. S. Jayawickrama Ramachandran was known not only for his academic and clinical achievements but also for his artistic talents. [14] [15]
Established in 1870 as the Colombo Medical School, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, is the second oldest medical school in South Asia.It is considered to be the top most medical faculty in the country which requires the highest entry qualification in GCE Advanced Level examination.
General Deshamanya Joseph Everard Denis Perera, VSV, FCMI was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer who served as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1977 to 1981. He was also the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ceylon Tobacco Company and Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. He envisioned for a women's corps in the army which resulted in the creation of the Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps in 1979.
Deshamanya Polwattearachchige Romiel Anthonis FRCS, known as "P. R. Anthonis", was a leading Sri Lankan surgeon. He was Chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1981 to 2002.
Devaka Fernando is a Sri Lankan physician and academic. He was president of the Osteoporosis Society of Sri Lanka and the Founding Professor of Medicine at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura.
Professor Nimal Senanayake is a Sri Lankan neurologist, physician, author, film and television scriptwriter and academic.
H. H. R. Samarasinghe, FRCP, FRACP is a Sri Lankan physician, medical administrator and president of the Sri Lanka Medical Council.
Deshamanya Professor A. H. Sheriffdeen is a Sri Lankan surgeon, academic and voluntary worker.
Sir Hilarion Marcus Fernando, FRCP was a pre-independence Ceylonese statesman, physician and banker. He was a member of both the executive council and legislative council as well as the chairman of the State Mortgage Bank of Ceylon.
Vidya Jyothi Mohamed Hussain Rezvi Sheriff, FRCP (Lon), FRCPE (Edin), FRACP, FCCP, FSLCGP, FNASSL is a Sri Lankan academic, nephrologist and physician. He served as the director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine; senior professor of medicine; head of the Department of Clinical Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. He is currently serving as the Senior Professor of Medicine at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. He is also a consultant physician and nephrologist at National Hospital Sri Lanka. He is widely regarded as the Father of Nephrology or either hailed as Father of Modern Nephrology and Dialysis. He masterminded and pioneered kidney transplantation in Sri Lanka. He is also the founder and owner of Western Hospital.
Janaka de SilvaFRCPFNASSL is a Sri Lankan physician and academic. He is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Kelaniya.
Ravindra Fernando is a Sri Lankan forensic pathologist, toxicologist, physician, author and academic. He is the current chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board of Sri Lanka.
Christopher Gunapala Uragoda FRCP, FRCP, is a Sri Lankan physician, author, folklorist, historian and conservationist
Panagodage Bertram Fernando LMS (Ceylon) MBBS (London), MD FRCP DTM&H OBE is First Professor of Medicine Ceylon Medical College and Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo. Fernando was educated like Marcus Fernando at St. Benedict's College, Colombo. He was awarded a Government scholarship to the Ceylon Medical College in 1918 and qualified with L.M.S. (Ceylon) in 1923. In 1930 he attended University College Hospital, London, M.B. B.S. (1931) and obtaining MRCP in 1932 and the diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene. He was awarded an M.D. in 1951, and elected F.R.C.P. in 1952, the first Ceylonese to be awarded that distinction.
Cyril Francis Fernando was a Sri Lankan clinician and researcher.
Upendra Srinath Jayawickrama (FRCP), is a Sri Lankan physician (endocrinologist) and an artist. He was the founder of the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka and a professor of pharmacology at the North Colombo Medical College.
Dr. Lucian Jayasuriya is a Sri Lankan civil servant and medical manager.
Jayatissa Nalin Rodrigo was a Sri Lankan Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Surgeon, Medical Teacher and Medical Administrator.,
Western Hospital is a private hospital located in Colombo 8, Sri Lanka that specializes in renal disease care, dialysis and transplantation. Initially opened to provide kidney care services to Sri Lankan patients, Western Hospital has now diversified to providing general health care services, and is one of the many private hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka. As of December 2022, the hospital is currently accused of involvement in duping organ donors into donating their kidneys. The hospital management has denied involvement in any such selling/buying of organs, which might or might not have occurred between donors and receivers.