Lanka's foremost nursing educationist is no more

CHANDRA de Silva, the country's most distinguished nursing educationist and Senior Lecturer and Consultant at the Open University of Sri Lanka, died on Saturday at the Recovery Unit of the National Hospital, Colombo, after a three week battle against complications in the aftermath of surgery for the removal of a kidney.

Wife of retired senior civil servant PLN (Newton) de Silva, she was 75 years. Chandra who obtained her BSc (Hons) in Nursing from Delhi University and an MSc in Education from Boston University, USA had the unique record of having served the nursing profession in Sri Lanka for 50 years.

Among the numerous awards she received was one 'in appreciation of the invaluable service to the nursing profession and the pioneering work rendered to the nursing education of the Open University of Sri Lanka from its inception to-date'.

At its Convocation in 1997, Athabasca University, Canada awarded Chandra a plaque "in appreciation of her outstanding service to Nursing Education and to the BSc (N) programme at the Open University of Sri Lanka."

Chandra served as a Ward sister, Tutor and Principal of the Schools of Nursing in Kurunegala and Kandy from 1955 to 1965. From 1967 to 1979 she was the First Chief Nursing Education Officer in Sri Lanka.

In addition, she held the positions of CNO Medical Services and CNO Public Health. She also served as Project Director, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, and Project Director Population Services International, Sri Lanka.

While her husband was Charge d'Affaires of the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad, she was consultant, Nutrition and Income Generating Activities for Women - USAID Pakistan, Expert, Curriculum Development ILO Pakistan and Consultant Health Education UNDP-UNICEF Pakistan.

She conducted a feasibility study on nutrition and income generation activities for women for USAID Pakistan and as part of an ILO project, developed curriculum modules for the gaining of trainers from among rural women in Pakistan.

On a UNICEF-WHO-UNDP-UNFPA assignment, Chandra also developed a Health Education Plan for Pakistan.

Her most cherished contribution was made in the decade 1993-2003 as Senior Lecturer and Co-ordinator of the BSc special degree nursing programme at the Open University of Sri Lanka.

She established the Nursing Unit at the Open University and played a major role in the establishment and development of BSc Nursing degree course at the same university, while proceeding to develop Course books for the degree programme.

Among her other pioneering contributions were the establishment of a system to monitor drug abuse in Sri Lanka (Drug Abuse Monitoring System - DAMS); the introduction of a Drug Education Module into the curricula of the Medical Establishment, Nursing Schools Teacher Training Schools and the School of Social Work; the instruction of Family into the curriculum of the Final year Ayurvedic Students of the Ayurveda Schools and Colleges; and the development of two handbooks on Demography and Family Planning Methodology.

She assisted in the development and implementation of National Nutritional Programme to Combat Malnutrition in Sri Lanka and functioned as Chief Researcher, Nursing and Midwifery Education in Sri Lanka and was a member of the Health Manpower Study Team as part of a WHO project.

Chandra authored over a dozen textbooks, course books and handbooks, and published Horizons of Nursing Educationalist a collection of her lectures.

She was married for 48 years to Newton de Silva, who retired as Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Rehabilitation until he was brought out of retirement by the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa to head the Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation.

She was the mother of twin daughters - Mihiri, a doctor and microbiologist at the University of Missouri, and Sanja, chartered secretary and accountant with Glaxo SmithKline, UK (and fiancee of Dayan Jayatilleka.)

Until her admission to hospital on January 2 Chandra continued her daily work at the Open University as senior lecturer and senior consultant to the nursing programme.

Her funeral takes place at the General Cemetery, Borella at 5 p.m. today.