Eminent physician dies

Eminent physician, Prof. R. S. Thanabalasundrum who had been practising for over 60 years died peacefully on Thursday morning, at his Horton Place residence. He was practicing almost until the end.

An illustrious Alumnus of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ceylon; Prof. Thanabalasundrum graduated with a First Class obtaining Distinctions in all subjects, viz., Medicine, Surgery and Gynaecology & Obstetrics. He proceeded to England for his Postgraduate Studies and was conferred a Fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians and a MD. He was the youngest consultant physician in Sri Lanka in the mid 1940s and served in the General Hospitals of Jaffna and Colombo. In 1985, he was appointed Professor of Medicine, North Colombo Medical College and held this Chair up to 1995.

In 1998, the National Honour of Deshabandu was conferred on Prof. Thanabalasundrum by the President in recognition of his meritorious service to the Nation. His wife pre-deceased him. He leaves his three children: Suchetha, Sumangala and Sudharman.