Dr N Soma de Sylva:

Colleague remembered

Doctors who graduated in early sixties gathered in their numbers to bid farewell to one of their best known and reputed colleagues, Dr N Soma de Sylva, the first lady doctor to specialize in General Medicine in Sri Lanka. Her colleagues, spurred on by her and her close friends were planning to have a batch get together in May this year then tragedy struck denying the batch mates of much fun and pleasure and camaraderie they are accustomed to in her company.

After an exceptional school career at Sri Sumangala Balika Vidyalaya at Panadure where she excelled in sports and studies she entered the then University of Ceylon. Her academic record in the Medical Faculty was brilliant by any standard which prompted her near and dear ones to persuade her to specialize in a clinical specialty. Having served as intern medical officer to Prof K Rajasuriya and later as his registrar she opted to specialize in General Medicine.

She completed MD (Cey) in 1967, earned a Government scholarship to the UK and passed the MRCP in 1970. On her return to Sri Lanka her definite appointment was as consultant physician to base hospital Kalutara, a station where private practice was permitted. She made a lasting impression on her patients and staff alike by her kind and caring nature and treatment of the rich and poor alike whether they were ‘chit’ cases or not. Her keen interest in undergraduate teaching made he seek a consultancy post in teaching hospital, Kandy, in 1974, a station where private practice was not permitted.

In 1977 when private practice was restored to Kandy she opted not to engage in private practice. However after much persuasion by her colleagues and demands from her patients she relented and started practising later earning much praise from the public and the profession for her exemplary practice. In 1974 Soma married Dr Ranjan de Sylva, Regional Epidemiologist.

Though she had a serious outlook on life she was not averse to having fun and engaging in a little mischief when opportunity came her way. Many have been at the butt end of her jokes but nobody took offence as the victims too enjoyed the fun and humour.

She also earned a reputation for fighting for justice and fair play, whether for individuals, junior doctors or the profession as a whole. Her sense of fair play was such that it did not permit her to accept the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of London before her senior colleague, the late Dr M Visuaratnam. Her popularity was such that she was elected by the profession as a council member of the Sri Lanka Medical Council on two consecutive occasions.

On her retirement she gave up practice as a doctor and pursued a different career involving Buddhist philosophy and comparative religion. She was well-known for her hospitality of which all of us have fond memories. Even in Delhi when Ranjan was serving the WHO, Soma was a willing host to guests and visitors alike.

We are all aware of the vacuum she leaves behind in the lives of all her near and dear ones – not to mention the extended family of the canine breed. She was a great lover of nature, gardening being a great hobby of her’s. She took great pride in showing her garden to like minded friends and discussing the idiosyncrasies of her canine pets.

May her journey in Samsara be short.

Dr Nanda Amarasekera