CGPSL FIFTY YEARS SINCE CONCEPTION


During his Guest of Honour address at the 44th Academic Sessions Prof. Indika Karunatilake mentioned that College and he were of the same age. Indika was born in 1969.
Wikipedia records that College was formed in 1969.
The late Dr. A M Fernando a pioneer of the College and a distinguished past president in the first issue of the Sri Lankan Family Physician (1979, 1,9-10) gives an account of how College came about.
He records that College was conceived on 19th May 1969 in Brisbane Australia at a meeting of delegates from Asia convened by the Presidents of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners & Royal College of General Practitioners of U.K. This meeting was convened to discuss the prospective roles of Colleges in Asia and this took place at the fourth Australian General Practitioners congress. Dr A M Fernando had attended this conference.
According to the President‟s message in the first issue of the Sri Lankan Family Physician (Editor Dennis Aloysius and President A. M. Fernando), it was in 1979 that the IMPA decided to establish the College of General Practitioners of Ceylon.
Dr. Fernando goes on to describe a “long period of labour” commencing from 19/05/1969 culminating in the birth on 19th of August 1974, when the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka (incorporation) law no 26 of 1974 was certified by the National Assembly.
Be that as it may the same issue of the SLFP in page 97 records the details of the founder members and first council in 1973!
Dr. M P M Cooray President
Dr. B D J De Silva Vice President
Dr. R J D Peiris Vice President
Dr. G M Heennilame Hony. Secretary
Dr. L Kotagama Hony. Secretary
Dr. T Nagendra Hony. Treasurer
Dr. M S M Refai Council
Dr. A H Hazari Council
Dr. A M Karunaratne Council
Dr. A M Fernando Council
Dr. M Sivasuriam Council
Dr. R P Wijeratne Council
Dr. Hector Jayalath Council
Dr. R M L Fernando Council
Dr. J Warusavitarana Council


It was in 1979 that the name Dennis Aloysius figures as a Council member for the first time. Dr. G R Wijegunaratne who is also thought to have played an important role in the process of incorporation of College was a council member in 1975.
So should we celebrate our conception in 1969, our establishment by the IMPA in 1971 and our first Council in 1973 too? Over to Council.
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