The humanist healer

Dr P R Anthonis:

Memorial Oration delivered on June 26 at the 38th Annual General Meeting of the Japan International Cooperation Agency Alumni Association of Sri Lanka at the Sasakawa Memorial Cultural Centre Auditorium

Dr Leel GUNASEKERA

I had the privilege of associating Dr. Anthonis for nearly four decades sharing his multifaceted interests in educational, social service and cultural activities until his peaceful demise in the morning of December 17, 2009 at the age of 99.

A few months before his death he was the oldest practising surgeon in Asia and the second in the world.

He has been a very fortunate child born on January 21, 1911 as the second son of a middle class family of 16 children. He was named Polwattearachchige Romial Anthonis in keeping with the practice of giving children non national names with alien cultured influence.

Dr. Anthonis has been nurtured in an environment to promote loving kindness to all living beings and love for nature as well. He was fortunate to come under the tutelage of Ven. Vajiragnana Thera of Vajirarama, Bambalapitiya in 1917 known as Dharmasala then.

Future foreseen

He was a brilliant student at Milagiriya Sinhala School and later at St. Peters College carrying away all the prizes annually. At the University College Medical Faculty in 1930 Dr. Anthonis was always above others and was awarded the Loos Gold Medal for Pathology, Mathew Gold Medal for surgery and the Government Diploma Gold Medal. He passed out as a Doctor in 1936 and took appointment as a Medical Officer in Government Service.

Winning a scholarship to study surgery Dr. Anthonis went to UK in 1945. He created history as a brilliant student by being successful in the FRCS Primary exam in the first sitting itself becoming the youngest Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was appointed the Examiner to primary FRCS, FDS and FFA examinations at the Royal College of Surgeons.

With his love to serve the Motherland Dr. Anthonis leaving behind lucrative prospects returned to Sri Lanka in 1947 when he was appointed Consultant Surgeon to the National Hospital Colombo.

Since then until his retirement from the Public service in 1971 he has been working diligently from early hours to late hours with great devotion to duty with high sense of humanitarian service. He was in private practice helping thousands of patients.

The fascinating life story of Dr. Anthonis reveals that he was a humanist par excellence. His willingness to serve fellow human beings to ameliorate their suffering earned him the endearing term healing angel. His medical and surgical experience was extended to the most humble as well as the highest in the land such as Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike specially and Governor General William Gopallawa.

Dr. Anthonis has been the Medical Council Chairman, the watch-dog of ethics and standards in the medical profession, the College of Surgeons Founder President, Sri Lanka Medical Association President and has also been the Editor of the Ceylon Medical Journal. So much for his services to the medical community.

Prof. Wiswa Warnapala then Higher Education Minister, in his speech delivered at the ceremony held on January 17, 2009, at which Dr. Narendra Pinto was inducted as the College of Surgeons President, had this to say of Dr. P.R. Anthonis. “As a distinguished member of the College of Surgeons he made a remarkable contribution to the medical field as well as to the development of the health services in the country.”

On March 18, 2009, the Sri Lanka Medical Association felicitated Dr. P.R. Anthonis “in recognition of an exemplary life of dedicated service in the field of medicine in Sri Lanka and to the Sri Lanka Medical Association.”

For those of the Japan International Corporation Agency Alumni Association of Sri Lanka Dr. Anthonis was the Association’s founder and President for 37 years.

Professional colossus

For all of us and others in numerous organizations he was a friend, guide and philosopher. He was described as a professional colossus in the medical profession who reached the highest level of efficiency. In his chosen fields ranging from medicine to cultural and social service, he was outstanding and his guidance was sought equally by the Government and non-government sector. Dr. Anthonis was the Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka Japan Cultural Centre Chairman, the Lanka Japan Friendship Society Vice Patron and Colombo Plan International Society Vice Patron.

His invaluable contribution as the Chairman of the selection committee of Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund (BUNKA) for a number of years is noteworthy in the promotion of cultural relations.

Dr. Anthonis, the busy professional was a member of the Board of Governors of the YMBA, a member of the Board of Trustee of Vajiraramaya, and the most senior Trustee of the BMICH.

He was the Colombo University Chancellor for 21 years from 1981 to 2003.

The Colombo University School of Computing owes its existence to the efforts of Dr. Anthonis. He was actively interested in student and staff welfare of the University and was a much loved figure among University students and staff.

Conferred honours

Dr Anthonis was bestowed the highest national honour Deshamanya in 1986 and has also been honoured with the Viswa Prasadini award as well. He was awarded the prestigious ‘Order of the Sacred Treasure of Japan’ in 1981 by the Japanese Government, in recognition of his invaluable services in promoting Sri Lanka - Japan cultural and friendly ties and his links with Japan were deep rooted.

The medical profession extended him with the honour Pride of the Medical Profession, the only professional to be so honoured.

Dr. Anthonis treasured a plaque presented to him by medical students with the wording “A Healer, a Teacher, a Mentor, an Inspiration over generations bridging the eras with service and commitment. We salute you over the years” which speak of the high esteem with which he was held.

Upali Jayasekara a great admirer of Dr. Anthonis once wrote: "To achieve fame and honour is rare. To possess a personality uninfluenced by fame and success is unique and that was Dr Anthonis, the Everest among professionals. That sums up the quality of this distinguished son of Sri Lanka Dr Anthonis.

Dr Anthonis has been a founder member of several organizations which catered to crying needs of the times. For instance, Institute of Sinhala Culture owes much to him as a founder in 1954 and a life member. This institute was established to bring about a cultural revival in the 50s of the last century when foreign domination had resulted in the degeneration of our cultural value. The institute was established by patriotic individuals among whom Dr Anthonis was a leading light to encourage the youth specially to actively participate in the revival of traditional cultural heritage.

The Institute of Sinhala Culture in association with HelpAge Sri Lanka felicitated and honoured Dr Anthonis in his 98th year at a ceremony for the International Elders Day in October 2008. In 2006, the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) felicitated Dr Anthonis for his great services as the founder.

It was observed that the greatest asset in life is good health and the greatest wealth is happiness. Dr Anthonis was blended with both those aspects in his 99th year.

At this felicitation ceremony emphasis was made on the need for active ageing for longer life to be active mentally and physically and that Dr Anthonis was a role model worthy of emulation and to be respected for his virtue and wisdom, the traditional cultural value which we cherish. If one respects and cares for the elders one is bestowed with good health, happiness, long life.

Exemplary humanist

Dr P.R. Anthonis was a humanist par excellence with noble qualities of compassion enriched by charitable service, pleasant words, concept of equality and beneficial activities for the good of fellow beings. Such a humanist is essentially a man of peace. Living in peace with himself as well as the environment in society.

He was a bahushruta a learned, much informed personality, well versed in classics and philosophy and arts. Dr Anthonis was a distinguished senior citizen, an embodiment of virtue and wisdom whose passing away is akin to the destroyal of a well equipped library.

Dr Anthony's way of life is quite obvious that he has spent a fruitful life of 99 years. Justice C.G. Weeramanthri has observed that with regard to Peace Education culture there are three aspects; knowledge and awareness, attitudes and skills that are important. Dr. Anthonis possessed those qualities and applied them in his daily life.

His life has been based on the Buddhist religious principles of Metta (loving kindness), Karuna (compassion), Muditha (sympathetic joy), Upekkha (equanimity) - four noble attributes called Sivbrahmaviharana which promote personality development and subsequently enable a person to engage himself in community development based on tenets of "Satarasangrahawastu" namely (dana) liberality, (priya wachana) kind speech, veneficial action (samanathmatha) impartiality and (artha chariya) beneficial activity.

I feel since Sri Lanka and Japan are culturally linked with the technologies of golden thread with the Buddha's teaching the above reference is quite appropriate here.

Dr Anthonis also was highly mindful of the life realities of (Jati) birth, (Jara) decay, (viadhi) illness, (marana) death to which process he applied his kindness wholeheartedly with professional and academic achievements in the amelioration of suffering on the needy for the well-being and good of many with his humanitarian mission in sansara. I am reminded of the UN World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 in Vienna when they adopted the Banyan Tree as the symbol of the logo to represent the elders, Dr Anthonis was a huge Banyan Tree that gave protection and shade to the community.

"Dr Anthonis, the humanist left his foot prints in the sands of time so that those whom he led will follow and lead the others to an even the better tomorrow."

May Dr Anthonis attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.