Remembering Prof. Dayasiri Fernando.

Photo in 1960 - entering the Medical Faculty, Colombo.

25th year reunion 1985, Kandy, Sri Lanka, Dayasiri,---, Vasanthanathan

Philip, Dayasiri, Vasanthanathan.

45th year Reunion - 2005, Habarana, Sri Lanka.

Remembering Prof. Dayasiri Fernando

I met Dayasiri for the first time at the Medical Faculty, Colombo.

He had entered the Faculty from St.Thoma’s College, Mt. Lavinia. Remembering his school days he told me that he had played the part of Portia, in the all male school production of, Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice’. He recalled how G. L. Pieris was the ‘prompter’, waiting behind the curtain to help out the young actors, if they ‘missed a line’. G.L. Pieris became a Professor in the Law Faculty and later took up to politics.

He also recalled a night, the year before he entered Medical College when he was about to go to sleep in his bed-room. He overheard his parents discussing about any financial constraints they might have, to support Dayasiri through his years as a Medical student. They had concluded that somehow they would make it. Dayasiri told me, that this made him work hard throughout his medical career. He did his Surgical Internship with Prof. Nawaratne and became a close friend of him.

He was boarded as a medical student, with the famous Obstetrician Dr.Prince Rajaratnam. He related how Prince had told him that one must live a life, where even the undertaker would feel sorry for one’s death. This came true for Prince. After the funeral of Prince Rajaratnam, his wife got a note from Raymonds the undertakers, that there was no bill to be settled as that was the least that they could do, for this wonderful doctor.

In 1972 I met Dayasiri in Sheffield. He was working with a famous Gastro-enterologist then. He told me that at the interview where he was selected, he had produced the letter of reference from Prof Nawaratne. ‘Nawa’ was then in the editorial board of the magazine of the British Surgical Society. Prof. Hughes (if my memory is correct) had told him why he did not send Prof. Nawaratne’s letter with the application for the job. Then there would have been no need for the interview.

In 1974 he returned to Sri Lanka and was Resident Surgeon at Panadura. Subsequently he went on a scholarship to do Gastro-enterology as a speciality. He was appointed the Gastro-enterologist at Kalubowila Hospital, on his return to Sri Lanka. He resigned from his post in the Health Department and joined the Medical Faculty, Colombo, under Prof. Nawaratne.

When I was appointed Consultant Surgeon, GH, Colombo in 1991, we became colleagues and used to have operating sessions, in adjoining operating suites. I remember an incident relating to the medical students clerking with me. When examining patient’s abdomen, I would use as ‘control subject’ a medical student in the batch, doing the appointment at that time. The patient with an abdominal lump would be lying on the bed for the examination. On the adjacent bed I would make a medical student lie down and expose his abdomen. The students would examine both subjects and get a first-hand knowledge of pathological anatomy of the abdomen. Apart from occasional giggles there were no protests. I have a sneaky feeling that the boys who acted as ‘controls’ would have felt thrilled when the female colleagues, palpated their abdomen. One day a male student refused to act as a ‘control’. I told him ‘How can I teach you if you refuse to take part in this’ and sent him out. A few days later the Professor of Surgery met me in the Consultants Lounge and told me that the student was wearing torn underwear (‘banian’) and that was the reason, he refused to expose his abdomen. I told the Professor that now I understood his predicament and took him back. A few years later I heard that this student had gone to see Dayasiri. Dayasiri had listened to him and told him to go with this cooked up story to the Professor. I had a hearty laugh on hearing this. Dayasiri was very close to the Medical students who would take their troubles to him.

Dayasiri was the family surgeon for Madame Sirimavo Bandaranaike. He moved in the highest political circles of Sri Lanka.

He became Dean of the Sri Jayawardenapura Medical Faculty. His last post was as President of the Public Service Commision.

He often quoted a poem we learned at school which goes as follows:-

‘Lives of great men all remind us,

We can make our lives sublime,

And departing leave behind us,

FOOT PRINTS IN,

THE SANDS OF TIME.

He was a practicing Christian and understood the impermanence of things.

I salute him and his life.

Philip G Veerasingam

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W Edirisinghe <edirisinghew@googlemail.com>	01:02 (4 hours ago)

Dear Philip,

Could you kindly post my message on your blog,

Thanks,

Ediri.

Raja Edirisinghe.

It was with extreme sadness I read the news about Dayasiri passing away.

Dayasiri , I knew him closely in the Faculty when we joined in 1965, and whilst doing internship

when both of us were at intern Quarters [as it was then called,upstairs of the building seen on 

Philip's blog].My memories of Dayasiri are still clear and vivid and remembers him as a person 

 who always greets with a smile whenever you met him .

I remember well when  he met me in Oxford street shopping whilst he was doing a Post. Grad.

course in surgery.

I recall clearly how we jointly presented a clnical case, referred by him,at The SLMA,during the

period I was a Senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry.

Dayasiri will be remembered as a pleasent , lively , energetic and a clever surgeon and also as a kind friendly person.

I will certainly miss him and he will be missed by all of his colleagues and batchmates.

W. Raja Edirisinghe,

UK.

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Dr. Mrs. Ganeshamoorthy	10:58 (18 hours ago)

Dear Philip

Thank you for the message. We are sorry to hear about Dayasiri. Our deepest sympathies to his family.
Ganeshamoorthy and Jeyadevi

 ________________

Gallege De Silva	00:35 (5 hours ago)

Sad news. Our deepest sympathies to his family.

Chitra and GU

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Asoka Tinto	02:51 (3 hours ago)

I wrote a comment but do not know whether it was recorded or not.  However. Dayasiri was a truly humble person and always helpful--a thorough gentleman.  Hope he rests in peace.

All belssings

Sujaee

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Dr R.D.D. de Silva	13:01 (16 hours ago)

Dear All,

My daughter just rang me from SL, and informed re Dayasiri death.

I cannot start to say how sorry I am. He was a wonderful, unassuming friend, who was always there to give advice or stretch out a helping hand.

He is very certainly a very great loss to our batch and more so to our country.

God bless him and take to the best place possible, and I pray that he attains Nirwana.

Good bye my dear dear friend,

Derryck

_________________________

ChandraD@aol.com	02:53 (3 hours ago)

My deepest  sympathies to the family members, pf my friend and colleague Dayasiri. It is a loss to all of us.

Chandra Dissanayake. 

_________________________

Dear Philip

You may have already known the very sad news of the death of Dayasiri who
was another of our popular and an illustrious batch-mates.

He was always helpful, humble and a well respected professional colleague.

I have copied this write up appearing in Sunday Times ( Sri Lanka) of the
29th and hope you would share with our batch mates who may be unaware.

You may know more about his sad demise and may even have even attended his
funeral services.

We can only offer our deepest sympathies to his surviving family at this
time of this great loss.

Nana

C.S.Nanayakkara
UK
Well-known Gastroenterological Surgeon passes away


Renowned Gastroenterological Surgeon Prof. Dayasiri Fernando passed away
yesterday in Colombo.

Prof. Fernando pioneered the establishment of Gastroenterology in Sri Lanka
and was the founder President and later patron of the Gastroenterology and
Digestive Endoscopy Society of Sri Lanka

He was the former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sri
Jayewardenepura where he was the Professor of Surgery. He also served as
the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university.

He was a member of the Sri Lanka Medical Council and served as President of
the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka.

An alumni of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Prof. Fernando served on
the Board of Governors of the college. He also served as the Chairman of
the Public Services Commission.

Prof. Fernando was awarded the National Honours of Vishwaprasadani and
Vidyajothi. His funeral took place last evening.

*Charith Sena  Nanayakkara*

_______________________

email from Brahman Sivapragasapillai

Hello Guys

We hope that you guys are keeping in good health and good spirits - as I get older I find that I  need constant reassurance. Viji and I were saddened to learn that Dayasiri had moved on - my sister and Manel Kappagoda's cousin emailed us no sooner than they read the notice in the papers.  I recall Dayasiri telling me that the owner of the Gallery Café was his cousin, but I rarely saw the cousin and never got to know him.

Manel would like to write to a close relative of Dayasiri and emailed asking for the name and address of such a person - hence my emailing you.  Am I correct in assuming that Dayasiri was a Christian and if so May he Rest in the arms of Jesus.

As you know Viji was quite ill in Malaysia during the early part of this year,  Mercifully she is much better but has to be monitored for blood transfusion periodically.  Our son who is a cardiologist wants his Mother to be near him and we have indulged him by deciding to spend the NY Winter in Clearwater, FL

Regards

Brahman

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Kathir Nadanachandran	30 Nov (2 days ago)
to me

Thanks Phillip,

We are very sorry to hear this sad news. May his soul rest in peace, contended that it has had a fulfilling and illustrious career and life.

Nadana and Rathy