Appreciations

It is with sadness I write these words in memoriam for Dr. Frank Perera who was a mentor and colleague in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and above all a leader. Although we mourn his passing away, there is much to celebrate about his life.

Dr. Perera was a pioneer in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Sri Lanka. He trained at Guys Hospital in Britain and later at the Mayo Clinic in USA. He brought many ideas and a vision to help this new specialty take root in Sri Lanka.

In addition to his position as Physician-in- Charge DPM, he was also appointed to head a committee to lay the foundation for education of Physiotherapy in Sri Lanka. Dr. Perera was the founder of the School of Physiotherapy. We all can proudly say that here was a man who was dedicated to developing Rehabilitation Medicine in Sri Lanka and he went on to do so.

The Department of Physical Medicine in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s was a model department. The physical plant was well maintained, the equipment was of the highest quality, and the care given was without a doubt outstanding. The rich and the poor all came to our department and they were very well cared for. He maintained very high standards and expected the same from his residents, physiotherapists and the students.

I met with him many times when he visited his sister Phyllis in New York, as he also spent time with me in Chicago. He was invited to speak at my University on Rehabilitation Medicine in Sri Lanka, and he did an outstanding job at that meeting. Later that evening we were invited to dinner with many dignitaries at the University and the Medical Centre. I vividly remember that he was encouraged to apply for the position of Chairman of Physical Medicine at our University by the University President. In his low key manner he politely turned it down on the grounds that he had so much to do in Sri Lanka. He surely was a patriot.

The highlight of his career was when he was appointed the first president of the Asian Pacific League of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The confidence placed in him was further demonstrated by the request made by Dr. Sidney Licht of the World Council of Physiatrists to convene the First Annual Conference of the Asian Pacific League of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Colombo in 1970. He made sure every facet of the conference worked in unison. The scientific sessions were enormously successful. We had specialists of all types from all over the world presenting papers. Events were equally well orchestrated and the finale was a dinner dance held in Negombo where everyone who attended had a grand time.

He spent his later years more or less in solitude spending time with only the closest of his friends. While on his daily walks he would give professional advice to the poor people needing medical help. He was a generous man who helped the needy in his own way.

A true patriot of Sri Lanka