College Orations
Collection of college oration speeches discussing education, leadership, social issues, inspiring students think critically, act responsibly with motivation, vision, purpose.
Dr Noel Bartholomeusz
LMS (Ceylon) FRCS London
Born on the 25th of Dec 1910 during the last stages of British rule, Noel Bartholomeusz hailed from influential Burgher community, descendants of Dutch, the former rulers of Ceylon before British.
He was the son of Hugh Hamilton Bartholomeusz and Alice Maud Janz. His father was an advocate of the Supreme Court. He was educated at Royal college, Colombo. Noel Bartholomeusz obtained LMS (Ceylon) in 1935 from Colombo Medical College, topping the batch. Two eminent surgeons, Dr R L Spittel and Dr L D C Austin were in the same batch. He married his theatre nurse Nora Beven in 1936. After qualifying, he served at Nuwara-Eliya, Badulla and Avissawella District Hospitals.
Soon after the World War II, he went to UK on a government scholarship for postgraduate training. Within two years, he passed final FRCS and returned to the Island in 1949. On return he was appointed a surgeon at the General Hospital, Colombo. He was considered as a perfectionist in the real sense of the word and was a meticulous surgeon, greatly respected by all for his expertise, dedication, and commitment to patient care. He taught his trainees and colleagues by example and not by teaching. His colleagues and trainees have described him as a very nice man, very easy to get on with, with a very high standard of ethics.
He was very particular about his appearance. A handsome young man always wearing only white satin drill suits and white buckskin shoes and white socks, and a coloured tie matching his white shirt with an orchid in his left buttonhole, he was an unmistakable figure in the hospital that had only few surgeons then.
When he visits every morning sharp at 7 am for the ward round, he had a different colour orchid flower in his buttonhole which has wife places there each morning and, at the end of the ward round in the female ward, he used to present this orchid to a patient.
He worked round the clock both at the hospital and in the private practice. He retired prematurely in 1969. Unfortunately, his life was shortened by his failing kidneys and was on dialysis machine at home every night under the moral support of his wife Nora who nursed him with loving care throughout this difficult period. This did not deter him from his lifelong wish to serve his patients till the end, working up to 3 days prior to his peaceful death on the 27th of Nov 1977
Dr Bartholomeusz had a very happy personal life. Noel and Nora was an affectionate couple for over 40 years in their lovely home. They were an extremely generous couple. His long-standing friend and his anesthetist Dr B S Perera had said that he was not at all surprised when he was informed that the magnificent property they lived has been gifted to the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka.
We owe them a debt of gratitude for their foresight and generosity. They will be remembered for generations to come.
May their souls rest in peace
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Prof A H Sheriffdeen | Inaugural |
| 2014 | Dr Chandana Karunathilaka | Dynamic hip screw implant failure and assessment |
| 2015 | Prof Stephen Clark | - |
| 2016 | Dr T G Amal Priyantha | Surgery for colorectal cancer in Sri Lanka: Open to laparoscopy |
| 2017 | Dr Gamini Buthpitiya | A tribute from a Sri Lankan surgeon to a Ceylonese surgeon and his lady |
| 2018 | Dr Rezni Cassim | Percutaneous transluminal lower limb angioplasty (PTA) for ischaemic foot ulcers: 5-year experience |
| 2019 | Dr Ranjith Ellawala | The nightmare of accidents & emergency - major trauma; the fight to save more lives! |
| 2020 | Dr Bingumal Jayasundara | Non-resolving challenges affecting trauma care and injury prevention in Sri Lanka; concerns beyond clinical boundaries – reflection of a general surgeon |
| 2021 | Professor Mohan De Silva | A journey towards ensuring quality higher education in Sri Lanka |
| 2022 | Dr Amila Ratnayake | A preliminary examination of global military and civilian trauma system integration |
| 2023 | Dr Umesh Jayarajah | Lessons learnt in the surgical management of fistula-in-ano from a dedicated tertiary care centre: looking backward to the future |
| 2024 | Dr. Kamal Jayasuriya | Impact of National Trauma Management Course (NTMC) on trauma education and training |
| 2025 | Professor Sittampalam Rajendra | The burden of silent flood leading towards unseen cost of cure |
Dr Richard Lionel Spittel
Dr Richard Lionel Spittel born on 9th December 1881, was a Ceylonese Burgher physician and author. He was a nature lover; he made many trips to the jungles of Ceylon. Spittel received his education at Royal College, Colombo and the Ceylon Medical College. He joined the government medical service and was sent to England in 1906 to complete his higher education. There he managed to take FRCS in 1909. After returning to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1910, he was appointed as the third surgeon at the General Hospital of Colombo. Furthermore, he moved on to be a senior surgeon and a lecturer at the Ceylon Medical College
He retired in the year of 1935 and worked as a consultant surgeon. Spittel married Claribel Frances Van Dort a fellow medical student and also the daughter of one of Sri Lanka’s successful physicians Dr. William Gregory Van Dort. They raised two beautiful daughters by the name Christine and Yvonne. Spittel passed away on the 3rd September 1969, at the age of 87.
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Prof. C. Canagaretne FRCS | Inaugural RL Spittel Memorial Lecture |
| 1995 | Dr S A Ediriweera FRCS | A look at ayurvedic fracture treatment |
| 1999 | Dr R N Ellawala | Management of abdominal injuries in Anuradhapura |
| 2000 | Dr S Mandika Wijeyaratne | Deep Vein Thrombosis in Sri Lanka: Fact or Fiction? |
| 2002 | Mr Rohan Pethiyagoda | Managing Trustee, Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka & Advisor, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources |
| 2005 | Dr Naomal Perera | Breast Cancer: The Two Faces of Evil |
| 2008 | Mr Jayantha Jayewardene, Environmentalist and Conservationist | Biodiversity of Sri Lanka |
| 2009 | Dr Prasanna Gunasena | Minimally invasive laminoplasty for symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis - a novel approach to lumbar decompression |
| 2012 | Prof Ranil Fernando | The Nerves and Parathyroids in Thyroidectomy - Revisited |
| 2013 | Dr Niroshan Seneviratne | Impact of Obesity & Complex Renal Anatomy in selecting Renal Donors undergoing Total Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy for Renal Transplantation: Lessons learnt from West to Sri Lankan practice |
| 2014 | Dr K B Galketiya | Posterior mediastinal thoracoscopic surgery: challenges and adaptations |
| 2016 | Dr Sanjeewa Seneviratne | A breast cancer registry to improve quality and reduce disparities in breast cancer care - lessons learnt |
| 2018 | Prof Rohan Siriwadena | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease & surgical impact |
| 2019 | Lt Col (Dr) Amila Ratnayake | War and conflict: Surgeons of victims of war; translating and transforming trauma care |
| 2023 | Dr Umesh Jayarajah | Epidemiology and care of surgical cancers in Sri Lanka |
| 2025 | Professor Bawantha Gamage | Metagenomic analysis of colonic tissue and stool microbiome in colorectal cancer in a South Asian population |
Professor Milroy Paul
To quote from the biographical entry Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows Online of the Royal College of Surgeons (2nd July 2015), “Milroy Paul, although having the advantage of distinguished medical forbears on both sides of his family, was a man who, by sheer hard work and brilliance, achieved great distinction in his own country and became widely known outside Sri Lanka”. He was appointed as a Hunterian Professor on three occasions in 1950, 1953 and 1955. His publications covered various congenital abnormalities, pancreatic cysts, amoebic abscess of the liver and tropical elephantiasis. He was a founder member of the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science in 1944, and its’ President in 1954. He was also a founder member and first President of the Association of Surgeons of Ceylon 1963-64 and the Registrar of the Sri Lanka Medical Council from 1942-82. Paul was a keen tennis player and swimmer.
Professor Paul did what only truly great teachers would do – documented, drew, published original work, inspired and motivated students and juniors. He was admitted to the James IV Association of Surgeons in 1963, a privilege only for 25 of the best surgeons from across the world and was awarded the OBE in 1972 in recognition of his services as a surgeon and an academic. Professor Paul never sought publicity, public adoration and acclaim. However, the professional fraternity ensured that his contributions would never be unheralded. Sri Lanka was blessed to have had Milroy Paul, as were the countless students and trainees whose lives he touched over decades.
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dr K Yoheswaran | Inaugural |
| 2011 | Dr Chandika Liyanage | Development of a model of in vivo angiogenesis: Murine subcutaneous Matrigel sac model |
| 2012 | Dr S Sivaganesh | Tolerogenic dendritic cells on the road to transplantation tolerance |
| 2014 | Prof Ishan De Zoysa | Biomarkers as predictors of metastasis in colorectal carcinoma; biological risk factors for implant failure in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients |
| 2016 | Prof Srinath Chandrasekera | Endo-urology for stone disease: The continuing challenge in developing nations |
| 2021 | Dr Duminda Ariyaratne | In the eye of the storm of a pandemic: Surgical emergencies in COVID-19 infected patients |
| 2024 | Dr J A S Bingumal Jayasundara | Trauma surgery, critical care and health economic facets of the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka; unevaluated medical dimensions of a worsening socio-environmental conundrum |
Sir A M de Silva
His ability as an otorhinolaryngologist was recognized by foreign colleagues of world renown. His services were sought by patients from Africa to Australia.
Minimal incisions, bleeding, and handling of tissues, neatness, rapidity, and dexterity characterized his work. He rarely spoke in the theatre, and what little he said was never a rebuke or reprimand. His placidity and good temper never deserted him even when faced with aggravating provocation. Never did he expose a patient to danger for the sake of adding to his dramatic surgical triumphs, but he did not shrink from taking legitimate risks to safeguard life.
Sir A M de Silva might have made a significant contribution to surgical literature from his experience of half a century, but modesty discouraged him from writing of his own opinions or work. His contribution to the alleviation of suffering among the poor and needy was his life’s work, a contribution made, not only through his own labours in the General Hospital of Colombo, but also by training his pupils in the way he had trained himself. His students learned from him not only surgery but also human kindness. As an examiner he was reputed to be strict, but he preferred to asses a candidate’s knowledge rather than probe the depths of his ignorance.
In his retirement speech, he pleaded for a greater spirit of professional fellowship, and enjoined tact, patience and understanding towards patients as fellow beings faced with disease or death. His words are worth recalling to our minds decades after he spoke them.
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Dr. S. A. Cabraal FRCS | The intracranial meningioma |
| 1972 | Dr. S. J. Stephen FRCS | Technique of oesophageal resection for carcinoma |
| 1976 | Dr. C. S. Sinnetamby FRCS | Management of tumours of the parotid gland |
| 1977 | Ananda Soysa DLO FRCSE | Tympanoplasty in the management of chronic ear disease |
| 1988 | Dr. Colvin Samarasinghe FRCS | Subarachnoid haemorrhage from arterio-venous malformations |
| 1990 | Dr. B. M. Selvadurai FRCS | Microsurgical techniques in the management of Cervical Disc myelopathy - a 9-year experience in Sri Lanka |
| 1992 | Dr. (Mrs) P. P. Fernando | Breast Disease in Sri Lanka |
| 1994 | Dr. K. L. Fernando FRCS | Laparoscopic cholecystectomy - 81 consecutive cases in Sri Lanka |
| 1995 | Dr Gamini Goonetilleke FRCS | The Relevance of Developing Trauma Care & Trauma Prevention in Sri Lanka |
| 1998 | Dr Gamini Goonethileke | Symptomatic Galle stone dieses in Sri Lanka and personal experience with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy |
| 1999 | Dr P A Gooneratne | Tetralogy of Follot - Total correction the Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital experience |
| 2002 | Prof Mohan de Silva | Endotherapy in Management of Diseases of the Common Bile Duct in Sri Lanka. Is the Surgical Approach Alone Justifiable Any More? |
| 2005 | Prof Mandika Wijeratne | Carotid Endarterectomy: towards improving its outcome |
| 2009 | Dr Neville Perera | Management of Urethral Strictures & distraction defects - An old problem with new solution |
| 2013 | Dr Chandika Liyanage | Hundred consecutive pancreatico-duodenectomises with minimum mortality and minimum morbidity : How I do it |
| 2015 | Dr A M Abeygunasekara | Prostate cancer in Sri Lanka - a urologist's experience |
| 2018 | Dr Bawantha Gamage | Enhanced Recovery After Colorectal Surgery – Are we ready to shift the paradigm? |
| 2022 | Professor Ranil Fernando | Trials, tribulations and the emergence of total thyroidectomy - A Sri Lankan perspective |
| 2024 | Dr U M J E Samaranayake | Unravelling the Enigma of Cajal-Like Cells in Pelviureteric junction Obstruction |
Prof R A Navaratne
Rajasinghe Attanayakage Navaratne, MBBS, FRCS, hailed from a family of Ayurvedic physicians. Born to Dr. R A Buddhadasa; a renown Ayurvedic practitioner and Mrs. Leelawathie Amarasinghe, he was given a choice by his father of following a career in traditional medicine or taking up an allopathic path. He chose the latter. Educated at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10, he entered the Colombo Medical Faculty in 1942. He had an excellent academic record, passing out of Medical Faculty with First Class Honours, placing first in the list of 42 students. He obtained a distinction in Obstetrics & Gynaecology for which he was awarded the Sir Andrew Caldecott Gold Medal for the final MBBS and the Manekhboy Dadhaboy Gold Medal for Midwifery. He worked as an intern house officer in Surgery in Dr Noel Bartholomeusz’s unit.
His next assignment was as Consultant Surgeon, Civil Hospital Jaffna. Dr. P. Sivasubramaniam FRCS, DOMS, LMS(Ceylon) the father of eye surgery in Sri Lanka recruited him as joint editor of the Journal of the Jaffna Clinical Society. He wrote profusely in this journal during this time. Amongst his earliest articles were “Prostatectomy- Surgical Progress” and “The treatment of Senile Hypertrophy of the Prostate.” He introduced the single stage open operation compared to a two/ three staged procedure in use at that time.
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Prof A H Sheriffdeen | Inaugural |
| 2003 | Prof Mandika Wijeyaratne | Infra inguinal bypass for lower limb ischaemia |
| 2005 | Prof Kemal Deen | Management of carcinoma of the rectum: Many answers, more questions |
| 2006 | Dr S R E Wijesuriya | Neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: Progress towards improving outcome |
| 2007 | Prof Mohan de Silva | Interventional endoscopy of the pancreatico-biliary tree: The lessons learned |
| 2008 | Dr Ranil Fernando | Epidemiology of goitres in Sri Lanka, the past and the present |
| 2009 | Dr Vasitha Abeysuriya | Microlithiasis, sludge, crystals & the assessment of the "nucleation time" in human bile in respect of gallstone diseases & idiopathic pancreatitis: Are these disease entities? |
| 2010 | Prof Mohan De Silva | Lessons learned from managing iatrogenic bile duct injuries |
| 2011 | Dr Thushan Beneragama | War injuries of the upper limb: An analysis of functional reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka |
| 2012 | Dr Rohan Siriwardana | Impact of hepatic steatosis in living donor liver transplantation - Experience from east to Sri Lankan practice |
| 2015 | Dr Dakshitha Wickramasinghe | The short and medium term effect of vaginal delivery on the anal sphincter function |
| 2017 | Dr Niroshan Seneviratne | Percutaneous renal stone surgery: Redefining a better technique suited for a developing country |
| 2020 | Dr Sanjeewa Seneviratne | Cancer in Sri Lanka; trends, care and outcomes |
| 2023 | Professor Ajith Malalasekera | Clinico-histopathological, survival and molecular genetic study of urothelial bladder cancer in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients |
| 2025 | Dr V Sutharshan | From vision to reality: The journey of laparoscopic surgery in Jaffna – A single unit experience |
SAARC / SASCS Oration
| Year | Orator | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dr R Gnanasekeram | Optimizing surgical care : patients with femoral neck fractures needing surgical fixation |
| 2015 | Prof Rakesh Verma | Invited |
| 2016 | Mrs Samadanie Kiriwandeniya | Invited |
| 2017 | Mr Oswald Nihal Fernando | Invited, Paediatric Transplantation Where are we now? Challenges in low income countries |
| 2019 | Dr Keerthi Rajapakse | Institutional Hernia Programme and Paradigm Shift of Inguinal Hernia treatment |
| 2020 | Dr Prasanna Gunasena | Medium term clinical outcome of lumbar fusion by minimally invasive technique - A novel surgical technique |
| 2021 | Professor S Rajendra | Renal stone analysis and metabolic evaluation in patients with nephrolithiasis - Do they add to epidemiological data or aid to tailor preventive medical therapy |
| 2022 | Dr T G Amal Priyantha | Laparoscopic surgery for Colorectal Cancer; need for a benchmark |
| 2023 | Professor Pramodh Chandrasinghe | Evidence based quality improvement in colorectal cancer care: marching towards homegrown data |
| 2024 | Dr L Niroshan Seneviratne | Enhancing Renal Donor Pool in a Low-Middle Income Country: A Decade of Progress Towards Transplant Self-Sufficiency |