Appreciations
View(s):His determination has shaped the future of cardio-thoracic surgery in the Northern Province
Dr. Ravi Perumalpillai
On December 9th, it was five years since Dr. Ravi Perumalpillai was taken from our midst. His legacy, however, lives on. To this day cardio-thoracic surgery thrives in Jaffna, both at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and the Northern Central Hospital (NCH), thanks to his colleagues, friends, and supporters. This was especially vital and was indeed of great significance during the COVID pandemic years when movement within the island was restricted and patients were prevented from travelling to Colombo for treatment.
How did it all begin? Following an early retirement in the UK Dr. Ravi returned to Sri Lanka in 2012 and became singularly focused on reviving cardio-thoracic surgery in the Northern Province. Open heart surgery in the North ceased in the mid-1980s and patients had to travel to Colombo for treatment. Showing foresight in his “retirement plan” he began laying its foundation while working at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He trained several senior cardiac surgeons from Sri Lanka in Oxford and also led surgical teams from the UK to perform operations at the National Hospital and the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital.
The economic and political situation prevailing in Sri Lanka in 2010 made it difficult for him to establish a Cardio-thoracic Unit in the Government sector. Undeterred, on exploration of opportunities to establish such a Unit in the private sector he was enthusiastically invited to partner with Mr. S. P. Samy, CEO of the Northern Central Hospital (NCH). As Mr. Samy states, “I trusted and believed in Dr. Ravi, his mission and vision for the North of Sri Lanka and I ensured NCH provided all the required facilities for him to begin the pioneering surgery.” The NCH is one of the first private hospitals in the Jaffna peninsula.
Having settled on a location the next step was to obtain funds to initiate and implement his project. Towards this, Dr. Ravi established fund raising entities, the Oxonian Heart Foundation (OHF) UK/Sri Lanka, and rallied the Sri Lankan diaspora and other benefactors to support his initiative. Fund raising road shows were held in the UK, Canada and the US to obtain support. These initiatives bore fruit and he set forth tirelessly and relentlessly to realize his dream and a vision for the North.
In preparation for surgical operations, Dr. Ravi ensured that for a period of six months, a medical team from Oxford was able to assist in setting up the Intensive Care Unit and provide appropriate training to the nursing staff especially in post-operative care of patients. This was crucial for the programme to be sustainable even after the team had left. Such training and experience not only created a great opportunity for the nursing staff at NCH to gain world class training but also provided a training facility for use by the state sector nurses.
July 2014 was when the first open heart surgery using a cardio-pulmonary bypass machine was carried out in Jaffna, Northern Province. The patient was a young girl of 16 years, J. Archana. The surgery was done at the NCH by Dr. Ravi Perumalpillai along with Drs K. Gnanakanthan, N. Sriskantharajah and N. Kulatilake. Dr. Gnanakanthan assisted Dr. Ravi for nearly 3 years during his off-time from Kandy General Hospital when he would travel the 200 kms from Kandy to Jaffna, carry out surgery and return to Kandy. NCH has carried out nearly 160 operations so far.
Dr. Ravi realised that having surgeons travel long distances would not be sustainable particularly as good post-operative care for these patients was vital. However, recruitment of cardiac surgeons to the private sector was constrained by the health system in Sri Lanka and the bureaucracy and NCH found it difficult to recruit a full-time surgeon. The only available option for Dr Ravi was to work towards a public-private partnership (PPP). He took it upon himself, then, to directly persuade the Ministry of Health in Colombo to establish and fill positions for cardio- thoracic surgeons at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH). He drafted the terms of reference for the post, worked with the Ministry to allocate the appropriate budget and advertise for recruitment.
The process took him over 18 valuable months and included much travel between Jaffna and Colombo and many hours at the Ministry. Fortunately, all ended well with the first cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr. Mugunthan, recruited to JTH in March 2017 and the first open heart surgery there carried out in December of the same year. Thus, Dr Ravi triumphed in establishing a sustainable public-private partnership model in the health sector in Northern Sri Lanka.
In 2021 Dr Renuga Kanangara joined JTH and since 2022 due to the high demand for surgery (nearly 282 in the past one year) two more cardiac surgeons, Drs Sivashangar and Palinda Bandarage, have been appointed. Both surgeons have been instrumental in expanding the facilities for cardiac surgery including staff training and establishing an ICU unit. In addition to their service for the JTH they also perform operations at the NCH after public service hours.
Such is the proud legacy left behind by Dr Ravi Perumalpillai that in remembering him on his fifth death anniversary a free surgery for a needy patient was carried out at the NCH on December 9th, 2023.
Patient M. Thangawadivel , tailor by profession with Dr. Siva and CEO of NCH , Dr. Keshavraj with hospital staff.
Other tributes to Dr. Ravi, as a founding Trustee at the Heart-to-Heart Foundation of the Jayewardenepura hospital include the performance of a pro bono operation by Dr. Rajitha de Silva on Dr. Ravi’s birthday in April at the NCH. In appreciation of Dr. Ravi’s service to the country the Cardio Thoracic Society of Sri Lanka held the Dr. Ravi Pillai oration, delivered by an eminent cardio-thoracic surgeon at their annual meeting.
The Northern Province of Sri Lanka has benefitted and continues to do so from Dr Ravi Perumalpillai’s generous dedication to society, the driving force of which was his own father’s philosophy:“With perseverance and honesty of purpose one can achieve what you want in this world.”
-Jeeva
A kind-hearted and generous soul
Charles Edward Jayawardhana
It is with a deep sense of gratitude, appreciation, and admiration that I write this tribute to my beloved brother-in-law Charles Edward Jayawardhana who passed away on December 6 at the age of 103, having known him for over 70 years.
During my school holidays, I used to visit my maternal grandparents in Panwila. Charlie Aiya was a planter at Mount Hunnasgiriya Estate in Madulkelle. Reggie Walker, his friend and neighbour was on Oonanagalle estate. Both being Catholics, they visited the church in Panwila for their spiritual needs. Rev. Ponnasamy was the parish priest. They visited the Gunasekera household whenever they could for a chit-chat and some refreshments. I could hear Charlie Aiya’s Velocette motorcycle from a distance and I was very happy to be offered a joy ride.
Charlie Aiya had a very pleasing demeanor and soon became a “dear friend’ of the family. I remember him bringing decorative containers of sweetmeats and other edibles when he did visit our family. We soon found out that Charlie Aiya had a soft corner for my sister Ivy. During their courting years, I used to be their chaperone and accompanied them to the many places they visited including the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
Charlie Aiya played a very influential role in our family. Growing up with Charlie Aiya, I was exposed to the lifestyle of a planter from a young age, and I too naturally wanted to become one. When I obtained my first appointment at Spring Valley Group Badulla in 1958, I received a congratulatory note along with valuable career advice from him. I have preserved the letter to this day and include some of the advice he wrote:
1. Your conduct and work in your first billet is the foundation on which to build your future.
2. Do nothing, neither attempt, in word or deed, to unsettle the labour force.
3. Do not introduce rigid discipline. Try sincerely to understand existing methods of work, customs and habits.
4. Give information to your superior regarding improvements to be carried out and obtain his approval before undertaking them. They should however be done at slow degrees.
5. If circumstances develop over which you have no control, bring it to your employer’s notice.
6. Go slow, understand others. Be your own critic.
His advice has stood me in good stead throughout my planting career.
Charlie Aiya was also a very generous man. During my school years, I received pocket money from my sister which I know was influenced by Charlie Aiya. When I took to planting, I started creeping under Reggie Walker and he was paid a monthly allowance for my upkeep. It was Charlie Aiya who covered this cost which I reimbursed soon after I found employment.
He graciously opened his spacious bungalow at Dumbara Estate, Ingiriya for my homecoming which was a memorable day for the whole family.
Charlie Aiya led an exemplary life, he was a man of few words, however if the topic was history, he would have a long conversation. He was well read and held in high esteem by all who knew him. Always kind-hearted, he will be fondly remembered by all his family.
Leonard Wickremasinghe
A selfless man with a great love of humanity
Dr. LORENZ PERERA
Dr. Lorenz Perera was born on November 12, 1921 to Vivian Conrad Perera and Dorothea Celestina De Silva. He was one of the most brilliant students to walk the corridors of St.Peter’s College. His excellent academic performance won him a prestigious scholarship to the University College.My mother jokingly tells me that he was only seen at the Uni when scholarship allowances were paid.
While at St.Peter’s he was recruited by the Samasamaja Party. He was such a selfless man with a great love of humanity and a strong desire to fight against suffering that it drove him to drift away from his academic pursuits. He engaged in political activities much to the annoyance of the British colonial government which incarcerated him along with the party stalwarts N. M. Perera, Dr. Colvin R de Silva etc. at the Bogambara Prison Kandy. After being sacked from the University, he used the two years in prison to study and regain admittance to the Colombo University College as a medical student.
During his medical studies he was staying with my parents Dan and Rene at Pagoda. He continued his political activities and about this time fell in love with the beautiful Mabel living just a hop step and jump away from the Party Office at Bagatelle Road.They later married.
He never asked for any assistance from my parents who were unaware of his marriage and he and Aunty Mabel then moved to a small annexe at Norris Canal Road close to the Colombo General Hospital. He was doing some small jobs, working at the Colombo Race Course on weekends to keep the home fires burning, but never asked for any assistance from his parents or mine.
Regi Siriwardena, the well known literary figure, one of uncle Lorenz’s contemporaries at the University and fellow LSSPer extols the virtues of Lorenz Perera in his book “Working Underground”. According to him my uncle Lorenz was one of the most sincere, transparent, honest and humble persons he met, who touched the hearts of all he associated with. The main reason for writing the book, he had said, was that as time goes on persons like Lorenz Perera would be forgotten.
Uncle Lorenz’s first posting was at Ragama Hospital and next Wirawila close to Tissamaharama. He left Government service and joined Dr. Hector Fernando’s medical establishment in Negombo. Dr. Fernando was the LSSP MP for Negombo at that time. Then he started his own private practice at Wennappuwa but later moved the practice to Marawila and finally Madampe. I used to visit him very often at these places. Once I was Santa Claus to his kids Lilanthi, Lalith, Kusum,Rohan and Mohan.
The next phase in his life was his utter disillusionment with the party to which he sacrificed so much when the LSSP joined the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government. It was then that he decidedto migrate to Trinidad. Finally on retirement he started life in England where he breathed his last.
He leaves behind his beloved children Lilanthi, Kusum, and Mohan, and also the late Lalith and Rohan.
Uncle Lorenz never everforgot his moral commitment to alleviate human suffering. When he left politics, which was his first dream, he merely transferred that dream to benefit his poor and worthy patients who looked up to him as a life-giver.
Today he lies alongside his great grandfather, his beloved parents Vivian and Dorothea, his siblings Doris, Rene and Sita, and my father Dan Aryaratne at the Holy Trinity Church Nuwara Eliya.
Uncle Lorenz was one of the finest persons to ever tread the earth.No words can adequately express my love and admiration for him. Thank you dear uncle for leaving in our hearts such poignant memories.
Ananda Aryaratne (nephew)
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