Dear members,
I am privileged and
deeply honoured to be elected as the
President of the Collage of Pathologists
of Sri Lanka, for the year 2021.
When Dr. Shanika
Fernandopulle, invited me to take up the
position of President elect for the year
2020 during the latter part of 2019, I
certainly did not envisage the
challenges I would be facing in the
coming years. As you all know, last year
the entire world was overwhelmed by the
novel corona virus pandemic with
nationwide lockdown which left all of us
numb and helpless.
However, under the
able leadership of Dr. Shanika
Fernandopulle, the outgoing president
for the year 2020, we were able to plan
activities at a time when everything had
come to a standstill. Together with the
president, coordinators and the members
of the council, we were able to plan and
successfully conclude the International
Conference on Lymphoid pathology,
Dermatopathology and Cytopathology in
October last year via an online
platform, something which was novel and
unfamiliar to all of us.
I am very grateful
to the members of the new council for
having faith in me and volunteering to
be part of the council for the year
2021. I assure you that I will do my
best to make this year pleasant and
memorable to all of you.
As the newly
appointed council is composed of members
who are very keen to contribute with
their services, I am looking forward to
working with all of them and hope that
we would be able to achieve many things
together.
My mind goes back
to 2007, when I was fortunate enough to
be the secretary of the inaugural ICON
in GI pathology, under the able guidance
of Prof. Janaki Hewavisenthi. Since
then, my involvement in the college
activities as a member, and thereafter
as an editor has helped me to understand
the dynamics and the traditions of the
college and I am sure that this
experience will be invaluable to me
during this year. I appeal to all the
members who have joined the council for
the first time today, to give this
college your very best to make our
college better, and stronger than ever
before. I am also fully aware of the
challenges ahead and determined to serve
the college to the best of my ability.
There is a saying that 'every dark cloud
has a silver lining', and one such
silver lining of this a pandemic has
come in the form of a virtual teaching
and learning platform and I hope to make
full use of this to conduct some of the
academic activities during this year.
I hope to explore
and develop some areas that have been
given little thought by most of us and
hope you will support me in doing this.
I would be very grateful to all of you
if you can send your suggestions by
email to the college to conduct the
future activities.
As a pathologist
attached to a university department, I
am looking forward to working with my
colleagues from the Ministry of Health
and hope that we will be able to learn
from each other to enhance our knowledge
and skills and achieve greater heights
together.
The annual academic sessions will be
held during the latter part of this year
and, an online platform appears to be
the most likely option, considering the
prevailing pandemic and its relentless
progression. However, let me assure all
of you, that despite the challenges, we
will do our utmost to make the best out
of this difficult time.
Finally, I wish to
thank the outgoing President, Dr.
Shanika Fernandopulle and the members of
the council 2020 for their commitment
and hard work during last year and wish
them all a very bright year ahead.
Dulani
Beneragama,
President, College of Pathologists, 2021
