“May it be the ground, air or sea, the presence of medical services is a morale booster for the troops engaged in battle, and military medical personnel are the first respondents not only in the battle but in any sort of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations conducted locally or overseas”, said Defence Secretary.
Participating in the 4th Annual Academic Session of Sri Lanka College of Military Medicine (SLCMM) on Friday (13) as the Chief Guest, Maj. Gen. Gunaratne stressed that the country should feel proud to be blessed with such a group of dedicated medical personnel in the services.
Maj.Gen. Gunaratne, praising the role played by the Sri Lankan forces in UN missions, said medical teams of the Tri-Forces had treated the wounded combatants and the soldiers equally during the 30-year war.
Highlighting the importance of organizing the session for the 4th consecutive year by the SLCMM under the theme ‘Towards the Excellence in Military Healthcare Delivery’, the Defence Secretary said it would set an educative and interactive forum to share and discuss the experiences and expertise of professionals in the field of military medicine all around the globe.
“I am quite certain that academic sessions of this nature would undoubtedly pave the way for enhancing and upgrading the standard of professionalism of military medicine that is an essential demand towards ensuring a high-quality medical service to the military community dedicated to defend the nation,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Gunaratne extended his sincere thanks to Maj. Gen. (Retd) Geert Laire, Secretary-General of International Committee of Military Medicine, who delivered the key note speech, for his remarkable service rendered towards betterment of Sri Lanka military medical services.
“As long as tribes and nations fought with each other, military physicians and medics had been nursing back the wounded to save them from sufferings. At times, we have seen and heard occasions in which the military have endangered their lives to save soldiers and their lives during battle and other disasters,” he said referring to the history of military medicine that dates back to ancient times.
Dr. Anula Wijesundara, Consultant Physician, Immediate Past President of Sri Lanka Medical Association, Founder Professor of Medicine-Kotelawala Defence University, and also Past President of Ceylon College of Physicians graced the event as the Guest of Honour.
Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, President of SLCMM Surgeon Rear Admiral Sena Rupa Jayawardena, Executive Committee members and senior officers were present at the audience.
