Doctors: Uphold cherished standards and dignity of noble profession, UGC chair says
Uphold the cherished standards and dignity of the noble profession of a medical doctor as the whole world is watching you.
This was the advice given to medical undergraduates of the Kelaniya University Medical Faculty by Prof. Mohan de Silva, Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC) when he declared open the MedKel 2016 Medical Exhibition organised by the Kelaniya University Medical Faculty at Ragama last week. He emphasised that he was speaking not as the UGC Chairman but as a medical doctor and said that the way doctors dress, the way they speak to their colleagues, the way they address their teachers and all that matters in the practice of this noble profession.
He said that more than 75 per cent of Sri Lankan doctors serve in many parts of the world and thus they have to be in line with doctors from various other countries. He said “My dear students, you are to take up the task of a great profession of saving lives. You are taking the baton from us to take up the tasks and responsibilities”. He added that in his profession as a surgeon despite all other technological achievements, it would be the speed and the experience of the surgeon that matters to operate fast. There was an era that surgeons and doctors became God and a doctor is always for the best of the patients, he asserted.
Prof. de Silva said that today in the present context of information explosion the knowledge expansion made the entire world a global village and the safety of the patient overrides all other concerns. When a patient comes to a hospital his ailment would be diagnosed, investigated and treated and all what the patient expects is one thing; to go home satisfied psychologically, physically and mentally. He said that the state-of-the-art new development, new inventions and latest technologies is only one component of the doctor’s knowledge, but added: “The most important part of their knowledge base is what is called ‘non-technical’ skills for doctors”.
MedKel 2016 was held to coincide with the 25th anniversary of establishing the Kelaniya University Medical Faculty. While touring the stalls spread over four sections, Prof. (Ms) Nilanthi de Silva, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Kelaniya University told the Business Times (BT) that since the establishment of the Medical Faculty it has made significant progress both nationally and globally by producing competent health professionals and cutting edge research. She said the institute has created a strong research culture that has been acclaimed and recognised globally.
Starting from zero 25 years ago, the faculty has reached a measurable research output of over 1,000 publications listed on Google Scholar; 500 indexed in PubMed; over 10,500 citations and an H-index of 46, she pointed out. She indicated that this faculty is the only institute in the country that offers a degree programme in Speech and Hearing Sciences for the profession of Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy. The Department of Disability Studies adapts a strong research culture and evidence-based practice that looks to the advancement of providing services for children and adults with disabilities.