SLMA Annual Sessions:

‘Health as a Bridge to Peace’

Edward Arambewala

Among the interesting topics to be discussed at symposium level at this years SLMA (Sri Lanka Medical Association) 123rd Annual Scientific sessions held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo from May 31 to June 4th is the “Health as a Bridge to Peace.”

According to the program released for this Annual session, this topic is listed to be discussed at symposium No. 9 on Healthcare in Humanitarian Crisis, on June 1 by Dr. Terrance de Silva.

Prof. Rizvi Sheriff will chair this symposium, among others listed to speak at this symposium are Dr. Novil Wijesekera on Manik Farm Experience.

Dr. Edwin Salvador on Role of WHO in providing Healthcare during humanitarian crisis, and Dr. Dianne Stevens on Role of UNICEF in providing healthcare during humanitarian crisis.

Under symposium No. 3 which is on the subject issues and challenges in Mental Health. Topics to be taken up are

1. Self Harm Among Teenagers - a worrying trend by Dr. Swarna Wijetunga

2. Deliberate self Harm a recent overview by Dr. Raveen Hanwella

3. Promoting Community Mental Health in Sri Lanka by Dr. M. C. Weerasinghe

4. Mental Health and Development with Community Partnership experiences in Sri Lanka by Dr. Neil Fernando.

The areas to be taken up under the topic Congenital heart disease are:

1. Congenital Heart Disease - from childhood to adulthood by Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe.

2. What can be done - the Cardiologist Perspective by Dr. Shehan Perera.

3. The surgeons perspective by Dr. Kanchana Singappuli The main subject to be taken up at symposium No. 2. is Diagnostic and Management Pearls in Dermatology, and areas to be dealt with are

1. Dermatological problems in children by Prof. Jayamini Seneviratne.

2. Dermatological problems in adults by Dr. Ganga Sirimanne

3. Cutaneous manifestations in systemic diseases by Dr. Ramya Ragunathan.

Among the Guest Lectures to be delivered at this Annual session are

1. The double burden of disease by Prof. Brian Oldenburg

2. Unfair societies: social factors and pathogenesis by Prof. Saroj Jayasinghe

3. Under nutrition and frailty in older adults by Dr. Kamilia Tai

4. Clinical Ethics by Prof. Anoja Fernando.

5. Prospect for a vaccine against HIV-1 by Dr. Lucy Dorrel.

6. The story of surgery-from a gruesome past to a fascinating future by Prof. Mohan de Silva.

7. Biomedical Engineering - closing the gap between engineering and medicine for improvement of healthcare systems by Dr. Nuwan Dayananda.