The pioneer of Intensive Care in Sri Lanka

Dr. K.A.T.W.P. Jayawardene was born on November 9, 1928. Educated at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, he graduated M.B.B.S from the University of Ceylon in 1956. He served his internship at the Kalutara Hospital and then was District Medical Assistant at Neboda Hospital. During this time he married Amara de Silva. Choosing to specialise in anaesthesia he was appointed House Officer (Anaesthesia), General Hospital, Colombo in 1958. Dr Jayawardene obtained the Diploma in Anaesthesia (London) in 1962 and the Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons, England in 1963.

On his return he served as Consultant Anaesthetist, General Hospitals, Badulla and Kurunegala. In November 1965 he was appointed Consultant Anaesthetist, Cardiothoracic Unit, General Hospital, Colombo. This was a new post created to commence cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. He and five others were sent to the U.S.A. for four months to study Cardiopulmonary bypass surgery which included surgical aspects, use of the heart lung machine, perfusion and anaesthesia. The team were able to study under pioneers in open heart surgery including Dr. Hufnagel at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. De Bakey in Houston and Dr. Denton Cooley. On their return, Dr. Jayawardene was entrusted to plan, design, implement and manage the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the General Hospital, Colombo for the management of cardiac surgical patients. The country’s first Intensive Care Unit was opened on June 16, 1968 with Dr. Jayawardene in charge.

During this period Dr Jayawardene managed to change the impression that the only job anaesthetists did was to “put patients to sleep during surgical operations”. He was consulted in cases of respiratory failure in the hospital and was invited by the Boards of Study in Medicine, Surgery, Forensic Medicine and Pathology in addition to Anaesthesiology to lecture to postgraduates. He was elected a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) in 1985 and was Vice President, Sri Lanka Heart Association for 14 years. He reached the mandatory retirement age in 1988 but was requested to work in a supernumerary capacity which he did until 1994.

Dr. Jayawardene was Honorary Consultant Anaesthetist to the Sri Lanka Air Force. He was a Wing Commander from 1985 to 1988 and a Group Captain from 1988 to 1992 in the S.L.A.F (V). He helped establish Intensive Care Units at the Military Hospital, Colombo; Children’s Hospital, Colombo; the Colombo South Hospital, the Asha Central Hospital and Durdans’ Hospital. Subsequently he functioned as Vice President, Critical Care at Durdans’ Hospital.

A visiting lecturer in anaesthesia and critical care for both undergraduates and postgraduates, Dr. Jayawardene was an examiner for the M.D. (Anaesthesiology) Part I examination in 1981 and 1982 and for the Part II examination from the inception of the examination to 1995.

Dr. Jayawardene was a member of the government committee set up in 1972 to report on Postgraduate Medical Education in Sri Lanka. In January 1973 he won an election to the Academic Council of the Institute of Post Graduate Medicine. This institute existed only for a brief period of time and was replaced by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (P.G.I.M.). He was on the Board of Management of the P.G.I.M from its inception to his retirement. He was Chairman of the Board of Study in Anaesthesiology for two three-year terms. In recognition of his services to post graduate medical education, he was made a Honorary Senior Fellow of the P. G. I. M. in 2007.

The then defunct Ceylon Society of Anaesthetists was revived in 1967 as the Association of Anaesthetists of Ceylon. Dr. Jayawardene was appointed Joint Secretary. The Association gave way to the College of Anaesthesiologists of Sri Lanka in 1972 and he continued as Joint Secretary.

Dr. Jayawardene was the President of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1985. The first scientific sessions of the College were held during his presidency in 1984. He was instrumental in procuring the Mace, the President’s badge of office and designed the gown. He was elected the first Fellow of the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists of Sri Lanka in 2015.

Dr. Jayawardene won the E.M. Wijerama Award for the best paper presented at the Annual Anniversary Sessions of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (S.L.M.A.) and subsequently delivered the S.C. Paul oration of the S.L.M.A. The S. L. M. A. elected Dr Jayawardene as its President in 1991, the first anaesthetist to be so elected. Honorary Life Membership of the S.L.M.A. was conferred on him in 2017. The Sri Lanka Medical Library - the oldest medical library in Australasia unveiled his portrait for his contribution as Honorary Treasurer for nine years. He was a Vice President of the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) and a member of the OPA Forum. He was admitted as a Honorary Fellow of the Ceylon College of Physicians and also the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka. The Independent Medical Practitioners Association of Sri Lanka conferred on him its life membership.

Outside the medical field, Dr. Jayawardene has been a member of the Standing Committee of the Church of Ceylon, the Board of Governors of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and the Board of Trustees, Deaf and Blind Schools, Ratmalana and Kaithady.

For his services to medicine in particular and the country in general, Dr. Jayawardene was awarded the Vishva Prasadhini Award in 1996. He was selected as one of 2000 outstanding scientists of the Twentieth Century by the International Biographical Institute, Cambridge UK. Lions Club International District 306 A awarded the Gold Medal for the Most Outstanding Citizen in Medicine for the years 1992 to 1995.

I have known Dr. Jayawardene since 1972 when I joined him as one of his trainees. A tall commanding figure he was always immaculately dressed, most of the time in a pristine white suit. Behind that figure however was a gentle and compassionate human being who led a very simple life. He was a silent philanthropist making generous contributions to the Church, the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists and the Sri Lanka Medical Library amongst I am certain, many others.

He was a parishioner of the Christ Church, Galkissa. Dr Jayawardene accepted with equanimity the long illness of his wife who predeceased him. The unexpected death of his younger daughter Lakmini was however, a shock to him. After these two sad events, it gave him happiness when the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists of Sri Lanka felicitated him in 2018 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the first Intensive Care Unit in Sri Lanka and a monograph ‘Fifty years of Intensive Care in Sri Lanka’ dedicated to him was launched. That morning he did a ceremonial ward round in the Intensive Care Unit at a function organised by its present staff.

Dr. Jayawardene is survived by daughter Dharini, son Chalaka, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

May his soul rest in peace.