A medical philanthropist loved by many

Dr E.L.T. De Silva, MBBS, passed away peacefully on May 10 in Wattala, just three weeks prior to his 81st birthday. He was the beloved husband of late Dr Merle De Silva (nee Vincent), beloved father of Mihiri, Millindu and Malintha and the loving patrirach of the family.

Egodage Lalith Tissa De Silva hailed from Ambalangoda from a much respected family of educators. His father, late E.P. De Silva was a distinguished principal of Devananda Vidyalaya, who started his career as a graduate teacher at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda and served as principal of several schools. He rendered yeoman service to raise the standards in education, extra curricular activities and discipline in these schools.

ELT’s mother Amitha, an old girl of Visakha Vidyalaya was gracious, kind and accomplished. She was the anchor of the family.

ELT, the eldest of seven siblings was fondly known as Sunil by his family and friends. He had his primary education at Teldeniya Maha Vidyalaya where his father was principal and Kingswood College, Kandy. He thereafter joined Ananda College and this is where we met and became lifelong friends.

He entered Medical College and passed out as a doctor in 1965. His internship was at Badulla Hospital and his first medical appointment was at Gampaha Hospital.

ELT and Merle were batchmates and also interns together at Badulla Hospital. Merle the charming, elegant young doctor became his life’s partner and dedicated mother of their three children.

After marriage they were both posted to Avissawella Hospital where they served with dedication for four years- a popular medical couple well respected in the town. After serving in the State sector for two to three years they resigned and started a private medical practice in Avissawella. In 1978, the young family migrated to Australia and settled in Victoria. Merle looked after the children while ELT continued practising medicine.

Although well established in Australia, they returned in 1981 and reconnected to their past enjoyable life in Avissawella with great success.

In the mid-1990s ELT and his medical colleague started a small private hospital named ‘Kelani Valley Hospital’ where medical specialists could be channelled to serve Avissawella and its environs.

ELT served the community for four decades and was highly respected. Patients thronged to KVH and had utmost faith in him as a professional with kindness and charity at heart.

He was well known for his generosity towards his patients and provided free care and medicine to many – the poor, university students, clergy of all faiths, members of the forces and police. He constantly updated himself on medical science and had excellent clinical diagnostic skills which made him a much sought after GP. He also had good surgical skills and carried out minor surgical procedures for his patients.

He was generous to his staff as well and saw to their welfare. He was also their dedicated teacher so that all who visited KVH got the best medical care.

When I met ELT after three decades, I found him to be the same person I knew before. Witty, smiling and happy, he told me he was just a country doctor. He wanted to know about the American health care systems, social benefits and pension care system.

ELT was gifted in many ways and also a political scientist- he could talk about the origins, development and operation of political systems.

ELT never lost his ideals of charity, kindness and compassion- the model passed on by his parents. He had a highly developed sense of empathy and that is what led him to be a medical philanthropist.

He was my good friend. May his journey through Sansara be short.

May he attain the supreme Nibbana.

Ranjit Santiago