Sir Marcus Fernando

Born on 21st October 1864, Marcus Fernando was the son of Andrew Fernando, of a reputed old family in the Island. He received his primary education at St Benedict’s College and then at the Colombo Academy, which later on was named the Royal College. He was an outstanding student who was awarded many prizes including the Gilchrist Scholarship for the East in 1882 and the Ceylon Government Scholarship in 1883.

At the age of nineteen, Marcus entered the University College, London, being the first student from Ceylon to study Medicine there. It took him only four years to qualify with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and he proceeded to the M.D. the same year. He qualified in 1888 with the M.B. obtaining the University Gold Medal in Medicine and Forensic Medicine. The following year he obtained his M.D. and was made a Fellow of the University College in 1890, the first Ceylon graduate to be so honored.

In 1891 he returned to Ceylon and joined the Government Medical Service. He was the second physician to be appointed to the Colombo General Hospital. Dr. Marcus Fernando was the first Ceylon doctor to hold the post of Registrar to the Medical College (1890-1897). At the age of thirty-four, he was appointed Senior Physician to the Colombo General Hospital and Lecturer in Medicine in the College. He served as Secretary of the Ceylon Branch of the British Medical Association from 1891 to 1897 and became the President in 1905, being re-elected for a second term in 1914.

In 1921, he became the first Sinhalese Member in the Legislative Council and was appointed a member of the Executive Council. His services were duly recognized by a knighthood in 1923, giving him the singular honor of being the first Sri Lankan medical professional to be knighted. Sir Marcus Fernando departed from this world on 18th December 1953 in London.