Carrying out duties in a way that inspires patients’ trust
Dr. Harsha Samarajiwa celebrates 50 years of dedicated work in the medical profession. I have had the privilege of knowing him for 27 of them and found him to be consistently professional, caring and compassionate. His bedside manners are par excellence and the time he allocates to each patient, usually upto 20 minutes, is indeed an enviable luxury for a doctor’s consultation in today’s scheme of things. He is scrupulously punctual, unless he has an urgent patient to see. His fees are minimal and he keeps meticulous records of each of his patients and refers to them before discussing their current ailment. This personal file is actually on his table when the patient walks into his room inspiring the patient’s confidence and trust in him.
Dr. Harsha treated my mother who lived to be 93 years. His patience, love and care were by themselves a curative for a lady who in her final years was afflicted with serious problems with her kidneys and restricted in her movements. His empathy was truly gratifying and comforted us all particularly in her final months.
The same loving kindness applied when he treated my mother–in- law whose face always lit up when Dr. Harsha visited her. When he came to see her that final day he told us to make her comfortable and be with her and not to shift her to intensive care as it wasn’t necessary, Thank God we listened to him, and  she passed away peacefully at the end of 95 rewarding years with the family surrounding her.  When her sons turned down the offer of a ventilator in those final moments he said that in a similar situation he would have done the same for his own mother.
There could not be a finer example of this noble profession than Dr. Harsha, whose impeccable professional integrity is matched by his exemplary conduct at all times. He is an outstanding example to the emerging generation of medical professionals carrying without blemish his allegiance to the oath he took on graduation.
May God grant you many more years of service to the poor and the rich alike Dr. Harsha, and every happiness in your work. You can look back on your 50 years of service with pride knowing that you are greatly appreciated, admired and respected by all your patients. God bless you always.
A grateful patient- Rohini