First Sri Lankan to be appointed Wonca Regional President

Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene, a well known family physician was unanimously elected as the Wonca Regional President for the Middle East South Asian Region recently. The 18th World Congress of Wonca (World Organisation of National Colleges and Academies and Associations of Family Physicians) was held from July 24 to 27 in Singapore. It was attended by more than 2000 delegates from many parts of the world.

Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene

Wonca - World Organisation of Family Physicians constitutes 119 member organizations from 99 countries. This is the first time that a Sri Lankan has been elected the Regional President. This is a significant honour for the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Wijegoone- wardene has been a family physician for the past 23 years and has been actively involved in teaching Family Medicine to undergraduates from the Jayewardenepura, Kelaniya, and Colombo Medical Faculties and0 the postgraduate trainees in Family Medicine at the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo.

Wonca collaborates with the WHO in many issues related to primary care, family medicine/general practice in the world and the new Regional President plans to take the discipline of Family Medicine to new heights in the Middle East South Asian Region.

Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene was President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association in 2002 and President of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka form 2004 to 2007.