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‘Let’s be true healers’
View(s):- Call from CCP’s new President Prof. Prasad Katulanda with a promise of making ‘Physicians for the future’
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
“Many of our patients are poor and the health system has meagre resources. Sri Lanka’s specialist physician can ensure sustainable healthcare advancements, contribute to national and global medical innovation and optimally address the health needs of our fellow citizens and be their true healers,” said Prof. Prasad Katulanda as the baton was passed to him by CCP’s outgoing President Dr. Upul Dissanayake.
At the head-table (from the left) CCP Joint Secretary Dr. Lilanthi Subasinghe; President Prof. Prasad Katulanda; Immediate Past President Dr. Upul Dissanayake; and Joint Secretary Dr. Praveen Weeratunga
Elaborating on the theme for 2025, ‘Physicians for the Future’, Prof. Katulanda said that medical professionals were at a turning point today, with the advancement of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the need to balance these innovations with clinical medicine, humanity and empathy. Locally, brain drain has been at unprecedented levels and physicians have to care for patients with many resource constraints. So, the CCP was preparing the Sri Lankan physician for ‘future Sri Lanka’ and the ‘future global village’.
Next he looked at the “significant” health challenges of Sri Lanka, even though “remarkable” milestones have been achieved. These challenges include Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and infectious diseases.
“The percentage of deaths due to NCDs has risen as also morbidity. Ischaemic heart disease and cancers are now the leading causes of death in Sri Lanka. With a fast-ageing population, some top risk factors causing death and disability – high fasting plasma glucose and obesity – have gained increasing relevance, while alcohol use continues to be a significant risk factor,” said Prof. Katulanda.
With regard to infectious diseases, he put Leptospirosis under the microscope and warned that it can “notoriously” cause epidemics, such as the one in Jaffna, leading to numerous hospital admissions and deaths.
Prof. Prasad Katulanda (on the left) after being inducted as CCP President with Immediate Past President Dr. Upul Dissanayake
The other diseases he mentioned were Dengue Fever, COVID-19, Tuberculosis (TB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Leishmaniasis, stressing that as the years move on, new infections will continue to emerge and old and forgotten infections continue to re-emerge.
Pointing out that the percentage of the government’s contribution to health expenditure has paradoxically declined over the years, with a rise in private sector spending, he said that it has led to higher out-of-pocket expenses for people, placing an increasing financial burden on them.
He also touched on the brain drain not only of doctors but also of nurses and paramedical professionals, which worsened with the economic collapse a few years ago.
CCP’s newly-inducted President Prof. Prasad Katulanda
The promises Prof. Katulanda made were varied – to empower physicians on the latest technologies and innovations such as AI along with an in-depth look at ethical and legal issues in this sphere; telemedicine and advanced digitization.
With most of the illnesses causing the deaths of and disabilities to Sri Lankans being linked to lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use and excessive calorie and alcohol intake, he assured intervention, along with public health experts, in the form of health education and disease prevention programmes.
Other crucial issues the CCP plans to focus on, he said, are palliative care and the management of those who are terminally ill; infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship with antibiotic resistance becoming a major worry; and promotion of resilience, patriotism and leadership among members while reducing burnout.
Veteran physicians in the audience
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