Sri Lankan physician, academic, and political activist (1933–2019)
Carlo Fonseka (
Sinhala : කාලෝ ෆොන්සේකා Kālō Fonsēkā ; 4 March 1933 – 2 September 2019)
[1] was a
Sri Lankan physician, academic and political activist. He was a former dean of the
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and a former president of the
Sri Lanka Medical Council .
Early life and family
Fonseka was born on 4 March 1933 in
Colombo ,
Ceylon .
[2] His family were
Roman Catholics .
[3]
[4] He was educated at
Maris Stella College ,
Negombo and
St. Joseph's College, Colombo .
[2]
[5]
[6] After school he joined the
University of Ceylon 's Faculty of Medicine in Colombo in 1955, graduating in 1960 with a first class
MBBS degree.
[7]
[8]
[9]
Career
After graduating Fonseka joined the
Colombo General Hospital as an
intern under professor K. Rajasuria and senior surgeon Dr. Noel Bartholomeusz.
[8] He then joined the base hospital in
Mirigama , near his home village of
Divulapitiya , as a medical officer.
[8] In 1962 Fonseka joined the University of Ceylon's Department of Physiology as a lecturer.
[8] He joined the
University of Edinburgh 's Department of Physiology in 1964 to pursue his doctoral studies, obtaining a
Ph.D. in 1966.
[8]
[9]
Fonseka returned to the University of Ceylon's Department of Physiology in 1967.
[8] He was a professor at the department from 1982 and 1989.
[10] The
North Colombo Medical College (NCMC), a
private
medical school , was
nationalised in 1989 and in 1991 became the
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya with Fonseka as its first
dean .
[7]
[11] He served as dean until 1997.
[12] He was chairman of the Board of Management of the University of Colombo's
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2001.
[13] The University of Colombo appointed Fonseka as an
emeritus professor in July 2000.
[14] He was also appointed emeritus professor by the
University of Kelaniya .
[15]
Fonseka was appointed president of the
Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) in January 2012.
[16]
[17]
[18] The appointment was opposed by the Sri Lanka Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee alleging that it had been made under political influence.
[19] Fonseka's tenure at the SLMC was to end in December 2016 but the government extended it by six months.
[18]
[20] Fonseka resigned at the end of June 2017.
[18]
[20]
Fonseka was a prominent member of the
Trotskyist
Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP).
[21]
[22] He was a member of the party's central committee and
politburo and led its branch in
Kotte .
[23]
[24]
[25] Fonseka was a vocal critic of private medical education and campaigned against the NCMC in the early 1980s.
[26] Whilst president of the SLMC he was highly critical of the
South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), a private medical school.
[27]
[28]
[29] After leaving the SLMC Fonseka claimed he would work to "topple the government" on the SAITM issue.
[30]
Fonseka received a
M.A. degree from the
University of Kelaniya in 1999.
[31] He was a fellow of the Ceylon College of Physicians and the Sri Lanka College of General Practitioners.
[32] He has served as president of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, chairman of the Vijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Hospital, chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol and was a member of the
University Grants Commission .
[33]
[34]
[35] Fonseka was one of six South-East Asia Region awardees of the
World No Tobacco Day 2012 Awards.
[36] He was a lyricist and composer and has produced a number of
albums including Carlochita Gee (1992), Raththaran Duwe (2006)
[37]
[38]
[39]
[40]
[41] and Koida Kiya (2015).
[42]
References
^
Professor Carlo Fonseka passed away
^
a
b
"Prof. Carlo Fonseka celebrates his 80th birthday" .
Independent Television Network News . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4 March 2013. Archived from
the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Jayasinghe, Shyamon (19 November 2016).
"A lifetime of scientific thinking" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Pinto, Leonard (2015).
Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious Considerations .
Balboa Press .
ISBN
978-1-4525-2863-2 .
^
"Maris Stella College Day" .
The Nation . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 27 May 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
"Annual Prize Giving" .
The Sunday Times . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 19 August 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
a
b Gunatilleke, Nadira (4 January 2017).
"Prof. Carlo Fonseka appointed SLMC President" .
Daily News . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f Fonseka, Carlo (7 September 2014).
"Memories of the Physiology Department of the Colombo Medical School" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
a
b
Hoole, Ratnajeevan (10 November 2016).
"Book Reviews: Essays of a Lifetime" (PDF) .
Current Science . 111 (9). Bangalore, India: 1548–1550. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
"History" . Department of Physiology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo . Archived from
the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Hewavissenti, Panchamee (23 July 2017).
"Private medical education fraught with corruption – Prof. Carlo Fonseka" .
Ceylon Today . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Archived from
the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
"Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Carlo Fonseka, a Medical Educator" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"Chairpersons of Board of Management" .
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine , University of Colombo. Archived from
the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"Emeritus Professors" .
University of Colombo . Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Fonseka, Carlo (29 January 2008).
"Generic drugs and branded drugs" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"About us" .
Sri Lanka Medical Council . Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
"Members of the Sri Lanka Medical Council" .
Sri Lanka Medical Council . Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
a
b
c Yapa, Ayshwarya (30 June 2017).
"Prof. Carlo Fonseka's term of office comes to an end" .
Ada Derana . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
"Sri Lanka medical students to protest against new Medical Council president" . Colomo Page . Indianapolis, U.S.A. 4 January 2012. Archived from
the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^
a
b Jayawardhane, Kalathma (30 June 2017).
"Prof Carlo Fonseka ends tenure as SLMC Chairman" .
The Daily Mirror . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Fernando, Laksiri (23 March 2016).
"A Tribute to Carlo Fonseka" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
Jasentuliyana, Nandasiri (2016).
Same Sky, Different Nights .
AuthorHouse .
ISBN
978-1-5246-0042-6 .
^
"LSSP- Oldest political party never charged with malpractices – Prof. Vitarana" .
The Sunday Times . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"UNP back in Mendis muddle" .
The Sunday Times . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 2 May 1999. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
Wilton, Greg (14 October 1996).
"Adjournment: Fonseka, Professor Carlo" . House Hansard .
Australian House of Representatives . Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^ Salgado, Miran (12 February 2017).
"Should we abolish private medical education in Sri Lanka?" .
The Sunday Times . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^ Silva, Manushi (17 November 2015).
"Dr. Neville Fernando To Sue Prof. Carlo Fonseka" .
Daily News . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Fernando, Laksiri (24 December 2012).
"Apparent Bias And Prejudice Of Prof Carlo Fonseka" . Colombo Telegraph . Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Perera, Kusal (10 February 2017).
"SAITM: beware of becoming a bite" .
The Daily Mirror . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Jayawardhane, Kalathma (2 September 2017).
"SAITM issue: Carlo vows to topple govt" .
The Daily Mirror . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"Professor Carlo Fonseka admitted to hospital" .
Daily News . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Fonseka, Carlo (30 January 2008).
"Generic drugs and branded drugs" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"Musicians honoured at Temple Trees" . news.lk . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 1 September 2011. Archived from
the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Jayasekera, Sandun A. (19 February 2014).
"MR determined to save millions from tobacco menace: Carlo" .
The Daily Mirror . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ "CSHR Board of Management". Centre for the Study of Human Rights,
University of Colombo .
^
"World No Tobacco Day 2012 Awards - the winners" .
World Health Organization . Archived from
the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2017 .
^ Basnayake, V. (24 October 2001).
" 'Impersonal interests' for happiness" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
"Kala Korner: A rare gem from Professor Carlo" .
The Sunday Times . Colombo, Sri Lanka. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^ Karunaratne, R. S. (21 June 2006).
"Carlo comes with Raththaran Duwe" .
Daily News . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^ Basnayake, V. (13 August 2006).
"Artistry and Carlo Fonseka" .
The Island . Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 5 September 2017 .
^
Raththaran Duwe - Nanda Malini & Rohana Weerasinghe, June 15, 2013 , retrieved 2019-09-10
^
Koida kiya manda kiya කොයිද කියා by Prof. Carlo Fonseka , retrieved 2019-09-10