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.
Dr. Ajith C.S. Perera, of "All Inclusive Built Environments"
campaign in Sri Lanka, receives his award from Professor Sir John
Hopson, Knight of St. Johns from Leicester, England. Sir Kevin Roy
Lewin of Austria and Professor Sir Wilfrido Reyes Vega from Mexico
are also in the picture. |
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. |