Focus on vital aspects of health and wellbeing

SLMA’s 130th Anniversary Medical Congress

Tightly-packed, extensive and informative while also tackling controversial topics, the 130th Anniversary International Medical Congress 2017 of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) will be held from July 13-16 in Colombo.

Under the guidance of SLMA President Prof. Chandrika Wi j e y a r a t n e, ‘Patient Engagement- Professional Enhancement’ will be the theme of this major medical congress being held in partnership with the National Science Foundation at the Hotel Galadari.

While around 500, both local and foreign delegates, are expected to participate in the congress, the Chief Guest at the inauguration ceremony on July 13 is Prof. Adam Balen, an expert on reproductive medicine and surgery in the United Kingdom, who is Chair of the British Fertility Society, member of the WHO Global Infertility Guidelines Committee and Chair of the WHO Expert Working Group on the Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The Guest- of- Honour is Prof. Pali Hungin.

The SLMA Oration on ‘Efficacy of rupatadine in the treatment of dengue viral infections’ will be delivered by Prof. Neelika Malavige of the Centre for Dengue Research, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, at the inauguration.

The other orations include:

The Dr. S.C. Paul Memorial Oration on ‘Metabolic morbidity in obese children: What can we do?’ by Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe, Professor in Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo and Hon. Consultant Pa e d i at r i c i a n , L a dy Ridgeway Hospital on July 14. The Professor N.D.W. Lionel Memorial Oration on ‘ Unravelling the path towards novel anti-diabetic drug leads from Sri Lankan flora against beta cell dysfunction, dyslipidaemia and oxidative stress’ by Dr. A. P. Attanayake, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna on July 16. The Dr. S. Ramachandran Memorial Oration on the ‘Diagnosis of snake envenoming: A challenge of the 21st century in the tropics’ by Dr. Kalana Maduwage of t he De p a r t m e n t of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya on July 16. Two very interesting slots on July 16, will be ‘Medical negligence – a fact or fiction?’ and ‘ Public perspective and the health system response’.

Under medical negligence, the ‘ Medico- legal aspects of medical negligence’ will be handled by Dr. Clifford Perera; the ‘Legal perspectives of medical negligence – Global vs. Sri Lankan trends’ by Saliya Peiris PC; and ‘Non-litigatory aspects of medical care and patient safety’ by Dr. Sridharan Sathasivam.

The Public Forum, meanwhile, will hear one side from speakers Peter D’Almeida and Shehara de Silva and the other side from responders Dr. Sarath Gamini de Silva, Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene and Prof. Srinath Chandrasekara, with the moderators being Prof. Saroj Jayasinghe and Dr. Susie Perera.

The congress will also cover a wide- range of topics not leaving out the health of adults, men or women, both young and old or children. From heart health to metabolism to diabetes and thyroid disease, from neurology, lung health to cancer, school health to ageing, from women’s health, microbiome and palliative care to ethics, the programme of the congress covers them all.

Another major concern that the congress will deal with is ‘Road traffic crashes – how do we save lives’ to be held as a workshop prior to the main sessions, on July 11 at the SLMA’s Lionel Memorial Auditorium.

Organised by the SLMA Expert Committee on the Prevention of Road Traffic Crashes, it will deal with the foreign perspectives of ‘ Strengthening emergency trauma care -- highlighting its pioneer ro l e ’ ; ‘ M u l t i - disciplinary activity for road traffic injury prevention: Collaboration between engineering and medicine’; ‘ Influence of social environment on child pedestrian injuries: Time trend of child pedestrian injuries in Japan’; and the Sri Lankan scenario: ‘ Developing a strategy – from policy to action’ by Dr. Samitha Siritunge and the ‘Sri Lankan situation – the need for a Task Force’ by Prof. Samath Dharmaratne and Dr. Achala Jayatilleke.

From heart health to metabolism to diabetes and thyroid disease, from neurology, lung health to cancer, school health to ageing, from women’s health, microbiome and palliative care to ethics, the programme of the congress covers them all