Members of the Task Force
Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa – President SLMA |
Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne – Immediate Past President SLMA |
Dr. Dilhar Samaraweera – Chairman |
Dr. Udayangani Ramadasa – Convener |
Dr. Sankha Randenikumara – Hony. Secretary |
Dr. R.R.H Amarasena |
Dr. Samanmali Sumanasena |
Dr. C.M Asela Anthony |
Dr. Uthpala Atygalla |
Dr. Achala Balasuriya |
Prof. Thashi Chang |
Dr. Chamali Aluwihare |
Dr. Iranga De Silva |
Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva |
Prof. Priyanjali De Zoysa |
Dr. Manoj Edirisooriya |
Dr. Erandie Ediriweera |
Dr. Carmel Fernandopulle |
Dr Nilesh Fernandopulle |
Dr. Gayani Gamage |
Dr. WDI Shama Goonathilake |
Dr. Kalyani Guruge |
Dr. Angela De Silva |
Dr. T.D Hapuarachchi |
Dr. Chinthaka Hathlahawatte |
Dr. Manjula Hewageeganage |
Dr. Harini Jagoda |
Dr. KVC Janaka |
Dr. Ruwanthi Jayasekera |
Prof. Saroj Jayasinghe |
Dr. Achala Jayatilake |
Dr. N. Jeyakumaran |
Dr. Panduka Karunanayake |
Dr. Ravini De Silva Karunathilake |
Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda |
Dr. Manjula Kularathne |
Dr. Hemantha Kumarihamy |
Dr. Shiromi Maduwage |
Dr. Rajan Mallawarachchi |
Dr. Arjuna Marasinghe |
Dr. Darrel Mathew |
Dr. Susitha Mendis |
Dr. Joseph Parthiepan |
Dr. Gamini Pathirana |
Prof. Antoinette Perera |
Dr. Clifford Perera |
Dr. L.W.D.S Perera |
Dr. Suraj Perera |
Dr. Gihan Piyasiri |
Dr. Sanjeewa Rajapakse |
Dr. Mahesh Rajasuriya |
Dr. Rohini Ranwala |
Dr. Tyara Rathnayaka |
Dr. Shyamalee Samaranayaka |
Dr. Waruni Samaranayake |
Dr. Dilma Siriwardana |
Dr. Samanmali Sumanasena |
Dr. R. Surenthirakumaran |
Dr. Azmi Thaibudeen |
Dr. Muditha Vidanapathirana |
Dr. Gayani Walpola |
Prof. Chandanie Wanigatunge |
Dr. Sujeeva Weerasinghe |
Dr. Buddika Widanagama |
Dr. Lihini Wijeyaratne |
Dr. Chamiska Kariyawasam |
Dr. Himasha Meneripitiya |
Ms. A.M Asoka Abeynayaka |
Ms. Devika Banneheka |
Mr. Samantha Liyanawaduge |
Dr. MKDL Meegoda |
Ms. M.H.C Peiris |
Dr. Anula Ratnayake |
Ms. Wajira Wijesinghe |
Stakeholder meetings are held annually. Core group members meet up every 4th Wednesday of each month to discuss the work done and the future actions of the Task Force.
The Task Force has accomplished the following to date:
- Formation of 4 separate working groups with a leader and convener for each group
- The foundation has been laid to formulate an advocacy document for palliative care and End of Life Care. A working group has been appointed to look in to this.
- The Task Force has formed 2 working groups to formulate guideline for adult palliative care and paediatric palliative care.
- The legal issues in End of Life Care is another important area that the Task Force is focused on. The working group is headed by the additional solicitor general Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda.
- A guest lecture was organized by the Palliative Care and End of Life Care Task Force on “End of Life Issues and A Good Death” at the SLMA auditorium. The speakers for the day were Dr. Tashi Chang Neurologist-National Hospital of Sri Lanka/ Senior Lecturer -University of Colombo and Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda president’s counsel additional solicitor general.
- International experts Prof. Cyanthia Goh, Senior Consultant of Palliative Medicine at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Prof Ghauri Aggarwal, Head, Concord Centre for Palliative Care and Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sydney, Australia and Mr. YAU Weng Wai programme director from the lien foundation Singapore joined us for the 2nd core group meeting. Since then they have become members of the volunteer group sharing their views and opinions.
- A Letter was written to the DGHS requesting the Post-Graduate institute of Sri Lanka to develop a curriculum for MD programme in palliative Medicine.
- The Palliative care and End of Life Care Task Force had a stall at the exhibition org by the Ceylon college of physicians to commemorate their 50th anniversary. It was planned to use the stall as a portal for public awareness which we intend to carry on in the coming years. The stall was a tremendous success. A symposium on palliative care was also held in parallel to the exhibition.
- Symposium on Palliative Care in Sri Lanka was held at the SLMA sessions in July 2017. Dr. Udayangani Ramadasa, Dr. Suresh Kumar(India), and Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda addressed the gathering on “Challenges ahead” “Use of opioids” and “Ethical and legal aspects” respectively.
- The Palliative & End of Life Care Task Force has commenced the process of formulating “Palliative care manual for management of non-cancer patients” which will be circulated among all medical professionals to assist them in their management of non-cancer patients