Sunday Times 2
Cayman Islands honours Sri Lankan doctor
View(s):A well known Sri Lankan medical specialist is being honoured by the Government of the Cayman Islands in its New Year’s Honours List announced early this year. Dr. Saratchandra de Alwis-Seneviratne will receive a Certificate and Badge of Honour for his contributions to the field of medicine, and to community life, in the Cayman Islands.
Dr. Sarath De Alwis, as he is known on the island is a British citizen and a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians, Gynaecologists and Surgeons. He is also a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. He has lived in the Cayman Islands since in 1994 and was formerly head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Cayman Islands Hospital. He is now in private practice and also lectures at St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine.
Dr. Saratchandra de Alwis-Seneviratne
Dr. De Alwis’s specialities are infertility, cancer screening and pain relief. He has pioneered techniques in laparoscopic surgery, earning a Harvard University designation for “The De Alwis method.”
The citation given for the “Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honour” to Dr. Saratchandra (Sarath) de Alwis – Seneviratne reads:
“The contributions of Dr. Saratchandra (Sarath) de Alwis-Seneviratne to the field of medicine, and to community life, in the Cayman Islands are countless.
An indefatigable presence in the Cayman Islands since his arrival in 1994 as Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the George Town Hospital, Dr. de Alwis routinely and singlehandedly conducted clinics at George Town Hospital, as well as in West Bay, Bodden Town and East End.
Following the doctor’s arrival patients began to benefit from the in-country provision of services for which they had previously been required to travel overseas.
Amniocentesis became available locally, precluding the need for the patient to travel to the United States.
Dr. de Alwis was also the first person to perform extensive laparoscopic gynaecological surgery and hysteroscopy surgery in the Cayman Islands. Laparoscopic surgeries are performed for fibroids, ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancies, appendicitis, endometriosis, infertility and pelvic pain disorders. The first laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and ectopic surgery in the Cayman Islands was conducted in 1995. He later went on to perform the first total laparoscopic hysterectomy.
His achievements in this area have given him the distinction of being the only Caymanian to have a surgical technique named after him. The laparoscopic “de Alwis technique” is a safe method of laparoscopic entry that minimises the chances of damaging the bowel and other structures during surgery, which is one of the commonest complications of the procedure (Med Reviews, Volume 2, No.3, Summer 2009).
Other policies and procedures that are a legacy of his time at the George Town Hospital include a labour ward protocol as well as peri-natal morbidity and mortality meetings.
A longstanding member of the Medical and Dental Council of the Cayman Islands, Dr. de Alwis also served as a representative of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the Caribbean from 1994-1996.
While at George Town Hospital Dr. de Alwis introduced Continuous Medical Education (CME) meetings at the George Town Hospital, presenting the first five lectures. He also initiated an ante-natal clinic to be conducted by midwives and trained the radiology staff in the art of trans-vaginal ultra-sound scanning.
His commitment to teaching and learning medicine has been just as remarkable. In addition to his practice, Dr. de Alwis presently works as an assistant professor at St. Mathew’s University School of Medicine, where he teaches both in and out of the surgical environment. He also routinely seeks to motivate students by showing them new ways to study and inspiring them to continue their education.
The doctor also possesses extensive professional qualifications of his own. These include MBBS (Sri Lanka), MRCS (Eng), LRCP (Eng), MRCS (Edin), LRCP (Edin), LRCS (Glas), MS (Sri Lanka), FRCOG (Eng), FRCS (Edin), FFSRH (Eng), MRCP (Ire), and Diploma in Acupuncture (People’s Republic of China).
Among the many charities that he supports are the Young Parents’ programme, the Pines Retirement Home and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. An avid sportsman, Dr. de Alwis also regularly contributes to the local football, boxing and cricket associations.
He is married to Rashantha Neloufer de Alwis-Seneviratne (Chinki). They have a son Sacha.”