Pioneering forensic pathologist who never succumbed to pressure

Prof. Lakshman Salgado was Professor of Forensic Medicine at the North Colombo Medical College along with me till it was taken over by the Government and made the Faculty of Medicine at Ragama.

Prof. Salgado was born in Gintota on September 19, 1930 at the ancestral home of his maternal grandfather who had established a successful import/ export business in 1875 with branches in Galle and Colombo and three Indian cities. His father was a surveyor attached to the Survey Department during the British regime and hailed from the well-known Salgado family in Panadura.

Dr. Salgado who had his education at Royal College and Ananda College entered the Colombo Medical Faculty and passed out in 1957.

In 1968 he was sent for postgraduate training in Forensic Medicine to the United Kingdom.

On his return in 1972, he was posted as an Assistant in the Office of the JMO in Colombo and was elected Joint Secretary of the Medico-Legal Society. He was also the secretary of the Sri Lanka Medical Library. It was at the MedicoLegal Society that he came into prominence as he was able to galvanise the society into action and was instrumental in popularising the scientific aspects of forensic medicine and in commencing programmes to educate the public, the judiciary, lawyers and the police in forensic science.

There was renewed interest in the work of the society and its membership increased continuously. He served as the President of the society from 1984–1987.

He was JMO Galle for two years during which time he lived in the ancestral house of his father-in-law, the wellknown lawyer and District Judge S.S.J. Gunasekera. Today the ancestral house, No. 26, Church Street, Fort, Galle is leased to the Galle Bazaar Hotel.

He served as JMO Colombo South from 1976 to 1982 and as JMO Colombo from 1982 to 1990. This was a period of turmoil in the country which resulted in a heavy burden being placed on the JMO and his assistants, as numerous acts of violence were taking place, including the killing of 35 prisoners on July 18 and 18 prisoners on July 27, 1983. The period that followed was equally challenging as bombs were exploding from time to time in and around Colombo. It is to his credit that he did not succumb to pressure at any stage and performed his duties in a manner expected of a public servant.

During his tenure as JMO Colombo, the Medico-Legal Morgue was transformed into a fine forensic facility with modern infrastructure and adequate human resources. Forensic radiology and forensic photography facilities funded by the WHO were also introduced.

He was also instrumental in obtaining funding from the WHO to conduct a training programme in forensic medicine for medical officers and a large number of medical officers benefited from this.

He also streamlined procedures relating to medico-legal examination in court. It was during this period that he chaired the 2nd Asia Pacific Congress on Legal Medicine and Science held in Colombo in August 1986, as President of the Medico-Legal Society. The Indo-Pacific Association of Legal Medicine and Science (INPALMS) was inaugurated on August 16, 1986 during this congress and Dr. Salgado was involved in drafting its constitution. He functioned as its President from 1992 to 1998.

On his retirement in 1990, he was appointed the Chair of Forensic Medicine of the North Colombo Medical College and served in this capacity until 1995.

He was also the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Library from 1992 to 1995, till I took over. He served in the council continuously till his death.

Prof. Salgado passed away on August 29, 2019.

His wife, Chinthamani Goonasekera (Dinky) passed away in 2017. He leaves a son and daughter.

He was a devout Buddhist and following the example set by his parents and grandparents gave generously to religious causes and unobtrusively helped the needy in many ways,.

In his last will, he has left his lovely residence at No. 3, Melbourne Avenue, Colombo 4 to the Sri Lanka Medical Association after his unmarried son’s demise.

May he attain the bliss of Nirvana.

Prof. Wilfred Perera