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Desmond Fernando

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Bothalage Desmond James Stanley Fernando
Born(1930-11-26)26 November 1930
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died31 May 2012(2012-05-31) (aged 81)
Ratmalana, Mount Lavinia Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Occupation(s)President College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka, General Practitioner and Inventor
Known forContributions to developing General Practice as a speciality in Sri Lanka, Inventing and Introducing low cost health care technology to Sri Lanka
TitleDoctor
SpouseSumana Fernando

Dr Bothalage Desmond James Stanley Fernando (BDJS Fernando) (1930–2012) was a Sri Lankan doctor and inventor, best known for his services to General Practice in the country.

Education

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School

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Fernando was educated at S.Thomas' Preparatory school Kollupitiya and S.Thomas' College Mt Lavinia. He is known among his classmates for demonstrating a process for manufacturing small amounts of plastic and nylon at the College Science exhibition in 1945 and was awarded prizes for academic excellence. He was a junior librarian and a member of the photographic society.[1][2]

Undergraduate

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Fernando entered the Ceylon Medical College (later Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo) in 1947 winning the University Scholarship. He served on the committee of the medical students union and qualified MBBS in 1954.[1]

Postgraduate training

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Fernando trained as a paediatrician in Children's Hospital Medical Centre Boston Mass USA[3] with Charles Alderson Janeway and at Beverley Hospital with Professor William Dorsey. He later retrained in Family Medicine in Beverly Mass USA becoming a Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He subsequently attended the Department of General Practice, University of Manchester UK initially with Professor Patrick Byrne and later with Professor David HH Metcalfe, University of Nottingham UK with Dr Michael Varnum and St Georges Hospital Medical School London UK with Professor Paul Freeling on a British Council Fellowship.[4]

Professional activity

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Fernando was appointed District Medical Officer Elpitiya and later District Medical Officer Minuwangoda before resigning from government practice.[1] He practiced as a family physician in Ratmalana for 51 years till his retirement in 2010.[1] Although his American paediatric training was not credited by the Ministry of Health which recognised only British Qualifications, his patients recognised his dual accreditation as a paediatrician in addition to being their family physician.[5][6] His patients credited him for his clinical acumen in making complex diagnoses such as the rib tip syndrome.[7] Godfrey Senaratne comments on his dedication to keeping himself up to date through maintaining overseas standards at a time when continuing Professional development was not compulsory in Sri Lanka.[8]

Services to Family Medicine

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Fernando contributed to establishing Family Medicine (General Practice) as a speciality in Sri Lanka jointly with colleagues Denis J Aloysius, GM Heennilame, MPM Cooray, BDJ Silva and Professor Leila Karunaratne and developing the training programme over two decades. He taught Family Medicine at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine at the University of Colombo where he was a founder member of the Board of Study in Family Medicine, taking a prominent role in writing the curriculum, setting up and chairing the examination board for the Diploma in Family Medicine and MD Family Medicine programs.[9] With Dr J.B. Peiris (Chairman PGIM) and Dr Arul Raj (Chairman Commonwealth Medical Association) he extended this to centres in India,[10][11][12] and served as coordinator and chief examiner.[13] His presidential address with the title "The Place of Primary care in the Health Services Pyramid" outlined a blueprint for strategies to implement family medicine based primary care systems in Sri Lanka.[14]

Fernando served on many international committees and in regional general practice organisations and delivered lectures in 1997 at Indian Medical Association Annual Scientific Sessions held in New Delhi, the WONCA Middle East South Asian Regional Conference in Nepal in 1996 (where interest in the DFM exam arose among the Indian representatives attending the conference following his presentation on 'Post Graduate Training in Family Medicine in Sri Lanka),[15] the Indian Medical Association Annual Scientific Sessions held in Hyderabad in 1998, UK and USA. He was President of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka for two terms,[14] served on the Five Member Committee set up by the Ministry of Health to examine the need to set up an autonomous National Drug Control Authority,[16] contributed to the national guide on vaccines[17] and served on the national task force for eradication of rabies.[18]

Research and inventions

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Fernando is credited by his younger sister Patricia as being proficient in inventing designing and repairing.[19] He has been an innovator in introducing appropriate low-cost technology to medicine in Sri Lanka and is credited with developing a phonocardiogram (with Dr P. T. De Silva).[20] He has also developed a device for screening for diabetic neuropathy manufactured entirely with locally available components.[21] He is credited with introducing outpatient day case rubber band ligation of haemorrhoids in a general practice setting.[22]

Professional affiliations and honours

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The College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka awarded him the fellowship of the college and a lifetime service and achievement award. The council in their robes of office walked alongside the cortege to the Mt Lavinia cemetery.[1] He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Voluntary service

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Fernando served in a voluntary capacity as the School doctor for his alma mater S Thomas'College Mt Lavinia from 1963 to 1983 treating both students and teachers.[23]

Personal

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He was married to Sumana Fernando director and producer of documentary films[24] and International coordinator for the Federation of university women member Sri Lanka Women's Conference,[25] who serves on the board of The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund.[26] He was the father of Devaka Fernando,[27][28] and a foster father figure to his nephews Salinda (DBS) de Silva, Sudath de Silva (CEO George Stuarts Finance)[29] and his niece Sreeni Dalpatadu (Attorney at Law). He was the brother of Claribel de Silva[30] and Patricia Fernando.[31]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando Introduced low-cost technology to medicine in Sri Lanka The Nation Sunday, 26 August 2012". nation.lk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  2. ^ Valette, St Thomas College Mt Lavinia School magazine Terms 2 and 31947
  3. ^ "The Children's Hospital Medical Center Annual Report, 1966"". Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando Introduced low-cost technology to medicine in Sri Lanka The Nation Sunday, 26 August 2012". nation.lk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  5. ^ "DR. B. D. J. S. Fernando An appreciation June 5, 2012, 7:29 pm The Sunday Island on Line". island.lk. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  6. ^ "Caring doctors The Island opinion on line 24th May 2008". island.lk. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  7. ^ "Dr. Desmond Fernando:His diagnostic skills were excellent by Vincent Goonewardene Ceylon Daily News Tuesday, 14 August 2012". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando". tyretracks.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Board of Study Members". cmb.ac.lk. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  10. ^ Dennis J Aloysius Historical perspective of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka Srl Lankan Family Physician, 2001, 24, 1-12
  11. ^ "Sri Lanka's family medicine goes to India in Health watch Ceylon Daily News Friday 16th January 2004". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Lankan postgraduate exams for Indian docs Ceylon Daily News 12th September 2001". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2005. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  13. ^ "The first course Ceylon Daily News 30th September 2009". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  14. ^ a b B Desmond JS Fernando The Place of Primary care in the Health Services Pyramid Sri Lankan Family Physician 1993;16:3-7
  15. ^ "Sri Lanka's family medicine goes to India Ceylon daily News Friday 16th January 2004". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Drugs Authority : running without funds for 23 years Ceylon daily News 18th July 2003". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  17. ^ "Third edition of 'SLMA Guidelines on Vaccines' launched Sunday Times 8th October 2005". sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  18. ^ "Task Force to eradicate rabies Ceylon Daily News 26th April 2002". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 26 December 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  19. ^ "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando appreciation". Ceylon Daily News. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  20. ^ Fernando BDJS, De Silva PT A do it yourself phonocardiograph Ceylon Medical Journal 1970;15:40-50
  21. ^ "Fernando, B. Desmond J. S. Monofilament testing for sensation:a simple, effective and inexpensive screening device for identifying diabetic patients at risk of foot ulceration and amputation Sri Lankan Family Physician 1998 21(1) 19-21". srilankahealthrepository.org. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  22. ^ B Desmond JS Fernando Rubber Band Ligation of Internal haemorrhoids Sri Lankan Family Physician 1981 ;4:115-120
  23. ^ "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando From: Godfrey Senaratne". tyretracks.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  24. ^ Women : footprints on the sands of time. WorldCat. OCLC 27709517. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  25. ^ "BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS (NEWLY ELECTED) Sumana Fernando" (PDF). vgif.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  26. ^ "Sumana Fernando Board Member". vgif3.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  27. ^ "This Doctor is father of Prof. Devaka Fernando, who had brought great honour and glory to College. In school he was very popular amongst the teachers as an outstanding student. He was also keen Rugby player and athlete". tyretracks.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  28. ^ "Dr BDJS Fernando An Appreciation". tyretracks.com. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  29. ^ "June 10, 2012 1:45 AM". tyretracks.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  30. ^ "Obituaries De Silva Claribel Ceylon Daily News 22nd April 2004". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  31. ^ "Dr BDJS (Desmond) Fernando appreciation Ceylon Daily News 20th july 2012". dailynews.lk. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
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