Life of Professor Anton Jayasuriya honoured

The Forty Third World Congress of Integrated Medicines of the Open International University for Complementary Medicine held at the BMICH from November 27 to 29, took a different turn this year.

The main focus here, especially at the opening ceremony which was attended by distinguished delegates from over one hundred countries, was to commemorate and honour the life of Professor Sir Anton Jayasuriya, died on April 06 this year, who developed the teaching and practice of alternative and complementary medicine worldwide.

Professor Jayasuriya initially practised as an allopathic medical practitioner and worked as a Post Graduate Fellow Guy’s Hospital (1957-58) and The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel London (1959). He then became one of the most qualified practitioners Sri Lanka ever produced and devoted his life to healing those in pain without expecting anything in return.

The BBC English Dictionary on page 864, refers to Professor Anton Jayasuriya’s name in the section that defines the word practitioner.

In fifty years of practice in alternative medicine, he is probably the person who has treated the most number of patients in Sri Lanka free-of-charge totally and with his own hands, estimated at over four million from 140 countries.

His clinic Medicina Alternativa where his teaching programmes continue, and now named as ‘The Anton Jayasuriya Memorial Free Clinic,’ has not accepted any donations over the past 42 years. In fact on June 03 last year, a grant of US$ one million to be given by The Global Health Foundation of Bill Gates, was declined.

It is commendable that this Open International University which is privately funded, autonomous and an accredited international educational institute, has very prominently placed Sri Lanka on the world map, especially as the country that has the vision to integrate all forms of healing.

It was the ceaseless efforts of the late Professor Jayasuriya, an Albert Schweitzer award laurette, whose practice, teachings, books and leadership have inspired and encouraged generations, Sri Lanka achieved this recognition! Prof. Jayasuriya was the Consultant Physician at the 1976 Olympic Games in Canada for the Disabled People.

It was also encouraging to note that at this year’s opening ceremony, eminent people of Sri Lanka were recognised and honoured befittingly for their dedicated and distinguished humanitarian services, especially to the disabled people.

Former Minister for Social Welfare Sumeda Jayasena, Soma Edirisinghe and an active voluntary disability advocate and a wheelchair user Dr. Ajith C.S. Perera, were amongst them.