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Paediatrics emerges as a distinct specialty
Till the late 19th century, when paediatrics emerged as a separate speciality in many parts of the world, children were treated as miniature adults. In 1892, Dr. Van Ingen, blazed a new trail in the medical care of children in Sri Lanka, by establishing a separate Out Patients' Department (OPD) for children. Three years later the island's first (and so far only) children's hospital - the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) was established. Initially called the Lady Havelock Hospital for Women and Children, it was later renamed in honour of Lady Ridgeway, wife of the then Governor of Ceylon, Sir West Ridgeway.
In 1937, Dr. L. O. Abeyratne became the first trained Specialist Paediatrician in the country, with his appointment as Consultant to the LRH. That same year, with the commencement of paediatric training of medical students, the Professors of Medicine and Surgery of the Ceylon Medical College, Professors P.B. Fernando and Milroy Paul, respectively, were appointed as Honorary Consultants to the Hospital.
Prof. C. C. de Silva (1949-66) The First Professor
In 1949, the Department of Paediatrics was established at the University of Ceylon with Prof. C. C. de Silva as the founder Chair, creating yet another milestone in the development of the specialty in the country. His main clinical interests were nutritional disorders, haemoglobinopathies and infective diarrhoeas. A pioneer in the field of family planning he contributed extensively towards its development as an effective and viable programme. He was also instrumental in setting up the convalescent home at Thalagolla for nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished children together with Dr. L. O. Abeyratne.
Prof. Priyani Soysa (1966-1991)
With his retirement in 1966, Prof. de Silva was succeeded by Prof. Priyani Soysa, who became the first woman in the country to be appointed to a Professorial Chair. Prof. Soysa's tenure spanned nearly 25 years and saw the establishment of Paediatrics as a separate subject in the final year assessment. Her research interests included Nutrition and Infectious Diseases. She was largely responsible for the development of national policies and guidelines on infant feeding especially with regard to exclusive breast feeding. She served as an expert on infant feeding to the UN subcommittee on nutrition and the World Health Organization.
Prof. Sanath Lamabadusuriya, MBE (1991 - todate)
Prof. Sanath Lamabadusuriya, the current Chair and Head of Department, was appointed in 1991. With the radical changes to the curriculum introduced in 1996, the teaching of Paediatrics too underwent a major transformation with emphasis being placed on student centred learning. Prof. Lamabadusuriya's special interests range from Paediatric Gastroenterology to Infectious Diseases. During his tenure as Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Ruhuna, he played a pivotal role in the Sri Lanka Cleft Palate Project, in recognition of which he was awarded the Membership of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. From 2002-2005 he served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. During this period Prof. Manouri Senanayake functioned as the Head of the Department.
Currently the Department of Paediatrics comprises 7 Specialist Paediatricians and 2 Lecturers who are currently undergoing their professional training.