Business
Importance of ethics in the medical profession
The full speech of Emeritus Prof. Janaka De Silva, former director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) as chief guest at the inauguration of the Annual Academic Sessions (AAS) of the Sri Lanka College of Oncologists (SLCO) on October 13 in Colombo.
Prof. De Silva was speaking on ‘Postgraduate training and the professional practice of medicine’: As I am not qualified to talk to you about oncology, I thought I will speak briefly from my experience of working at the PGIM and the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) on a few issues that concern our postgraduate training, the professionalism that society expects from specialists and the challenges we face in fulfilling them.
Our postgraduate training system is one of the finest in the region and our post-MD trainees also have the privilege of being trained overseas. Several of our qualifications are recognized overseas, and some, like the MD Surgery have been granted equivalence by Colleges in the United Kingdom. There can little doubt that those who undergo this type of training have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice as specialists.
But, in addition to being knowledgeable and skilled, fitness to practise is also determined by professional conduct – maintaining a high standard of professional and moral ethics and being aware of and respecting the rights of patients. And although genuine efforts are being made in our training programmes, it is here that I feel there is room for improvement.
Doctors are expected to make the care of their patients their first concern. They should be competent in all aspects of their patient care related responsibilities and keep their professional knowledge and skills up-to-date. They should recognize and work within the limits of their competence and refer where it is considered necessary, prescribe drugs or treatments based on the best available evidence, be satisfied that consent is obtained before carrying out any examination, investigation, or treatment, and communicate effectively with patients and those who take care of them.
Doctors should not express personal beliefs (including religious beliefs) to patients in ways that exploit their vulnerability or cause them distress, and should maintain patient confidentiality at all times, especially when communicating publicly, be open and honest with patients if and when mistakes occur, and be honest about their experience and qualifications.
They should also be honest and trustworthy when completing or signing documents, when giving evidence to courts and in financial and commercial dealings. Doctors should also be fully aware of the rights of the patients they treat. Patients’ rights include the right to informed consent which refers to their agreeing to undergo treatments or procedures only after receiving accurate information wherever possible. This should include the names of healthcare providers and their qualifications and the estimated costs of investigations, procedures and treatments.
I am sorry if that felt like I was lecturing you, because what I have said is hardly new and should be common practice. But we all know that this is not the case. We have only to listen to the news, read the newspapers or log onto social media to hear ever increasing incidents of patients subjected to unnecessary investigations and procedures, given irrational prescriptions, issued false medical certificates and being charged unconscionable fees.
As our country becomes more developed, admittedly rather slowly, the medical profession has a duty to ensure that the health benefits of this gradual affluence reaches all communities in all parts of Sri Lanka. There can be little argument about that. But for this to happen, we need more specialist doctors, so that specialist medical services can be expanded to cover the more remote areas of our country. And, as we progress, we must also strive to improve, not only the coverage, but also the quality of care given to our patients. At present we are struggling with both, mainly because of the current brain drain and, paradoxically, protectionism within the profession.
Almost all of us specialists here have had the benefit of free education at some time or another – at school, at university or when we went overseas for our postgraduate training. It was certainly the case for me. It is something extraordinary for a lower middle income country to provide. So, we owe Sri Lanka and her people a debt of gratitude. Giving something back to the system that nurtured us are duties that are noble and proper.
I therefore, feel sad when I read the news of some specialist doctors cold-heartedly and without notice abandoning their posts and patients, and leaving the country, and worse, doing so secretively to avoid paying their service bonds and other dues. This is disgraceful and brings our whole profession into disrepute. The shame, however, is not only theirs, but should be shared equally by the affluent countries that poach them from this not-too-well-off country.
But, our system is also at fault. While our regulator, the SLMC is currently well into the process of drafting a new Medical Act to address some of the issues I mentioned earlier, our system also needs to fulfil a social obligation – that is to provide career opportunities for the nearly 2,000-odd doctors graduating from local and foreign medical schools joining our workforce each year – may I remind you at this point that we now have 12 state medical schools. If we fail, the lack of opportunities will continue to result in our brightest young doctors leaving the country.
There are several ways that we may be able to deal with this issue: one is to develop more specialties, once adequate numbers of generalists have been trained. Another is to increase the number of mid-level qualifications like Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters Degrees; doctors with middle-level qualifications can play a very important role in our health service, provided their services are utilized optimally.
To achieve these, the medical profession needs to overcome its protectionist ideology that sadly pervades even our professional colleges. In fact, when I was Director of the PGIM, I found that some colleges were actually the biggest obstacle to developing sub-specialties and awarding mid-level qualifications and the reasons given by them were not even remotely academic. It is in matters such as this that the support of professional bodies is needed. I thought I will speak freely about these inconvenient and uncomfortable truths, firstly, because I have been waiting a very long time to do it, and secondly, because I do so at the induction of a man, who is an oncologist of the highest integrity, who, as a professional, is a role model. I am proud to have made a small and very early contribution to his professional career.
By Ifham Nizam
Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Matthew Duckworth described Omega Traders’ latest investment in a modern dhal-processing facility as a strong example of how cross-border supply chains can translate into productive investment, local value addition and new business opportunities in Sri Lanka.
The investment, which adds a 150-metric-tonne-per-eight-hour-day processing capacity to Omega Traders’ operations, marks a significant expansion of the company’s manufacturing footprint as it celebrates 45 years in Sri Lanka’s food commodity industry.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Lentil and Orid Dhal Processing Factory in Wattala, last Friday, H.C. Duckworth said the facility represented more than an increase in production capacity, pointing to the wider economic value created when Australian agricultural production is connected with Sri Lankan processing and distribution.
‘This facility is not operating on its own. It is part of a long supply chain and a trade partnership between Sri Lanka and Australia, Duckworth said.
His comments placed the Omega Traders’ investment within a broader commercial context: Australia brings agricultural production and established export capabilities, while Sri Lanka provides processing capacity, labour, market access and opportunities for further value addition.
The investment comes as Sri Lanka continues to look towards greater domestic processing and value-added manufacturing rather than relying solely on the import and distribution of finished commodities.
Dr. (Mrs.) Siddhika G. Senaratne, Director General/CEO of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), who attended the inauguration as Guest of Honour, highlighted the importance of quality assurance in food processing and the role of standards in maintaining confidence across the supply chain.
The facility is equipped with new-generation cleaning, processing, sorting and quality-control machinery, including advanced colour-sorting technology, automated systems and an in-house quality-control laboratory.
The additional capacity will support Omega Traders’ three principal Mysoor Dhal brands — Rainbow Jumbo Dhal, Komas Dhal and Rozanna Dhal — which serve different segments of the Sri Lankan market.
But the investment also has a distinctly local agricultural dimension.
Through its Orid Dhal operation, Omega Traders plans to source locally grown black matpe from Sri Lankan farmers and process it at the new facility.
That creates a domestic value chain linking farmers to industrial processing and consumers, while potentially increasing demand for locally produced agricultural commodities.
Duckworth said this type of business partnership could generate benefits for both countries.
‘Australia produces some of the world’s best agricultural products and we are very efficient and very capable at trading them. But that alone is not going to bring success to Australia. Just as building a factory like this is not going to bring success to Sri Lanka, he said.
‘It’s when we bring these entities together that our products produced in Australia can be processed in excellence here in Sri Lanka that enables this to be a success, the H.C. explained.
The investment therefore combines two complementary supply streams: imported agricultural commodities, including Australian-origin products, and locally produced black matpe for the Orid Dhal operation.
For Sri Lanka, the business significance extends beyond Omega Traders itself. Increased processing capacity creates demand for logistics, packaging, distribution, services and agricultural inputs, while supporting employment within the food-processing ecosystem.
HR-led transformation places people, culture and business performance at the heart of the organisation
Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd,has achieved a significant milestone by securing multiple prestigious workplace and organisational culture accolades in 2026, reinforcing its position as an employer of choice in Sri Lanka’s automotive sector.
Among its latest achievements, Ideal Motors has been recognised as one of the 20 Great Workplaces for Young Talent in Sri Lanka 2026, ranked No. 1 and awarded the Gold Medal in the Small and Medium category of Best Workplaces™ in Sri Lanka 2026, and ranked No. 18 among Best Workplaces™ in Asia in the Medium Scale category—the highest-ranked Sri Lankan organisation in the category. The company also received Industry Excellence for Workplace Culture – Trading Industry.
The Young Talent recognition was presented at the Great Place To Work® CXO Forum 2026 held on 10 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo. The recognition followed an evaluation of more than 100 certified organisations and highlights workplaces that create meaningful opportunities for employees under 35 to develop, contribute and grow.
At the Best Workplaces™ in Sri Lanka Awards Gala 2026, held on 11 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, Ideal Motors achieved another historic milestone by entering the Best Workplaces Sri Lanka list for the first time and securing the No. 1 Gold Medal in the Small and Medium category. The company also achieved No. 18 in Best Workplaces™ in Asia, reflecting the strength of its workplace culture beyond Sri Lanka.
These achievements represent more than a collection of awards. They reflect the transformation taking place within Ideal Motors, where people, culture and business performance are increasingly viewed as interconnected drivers of sustainable growth.
Over the past few years, the organisation’s HR function has evolved from a predominantly administrative role into a strategic business partner, with greater emphasis on employee experience, capability development, engagement, performance, communication, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and data-driven HR practices.
The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) conducted a seat belt safety awareness programme in front of its headquarters and along Galle Face Centre Road, encouraging motorists and passengers to make seat belt use a habit on every journey.
AAC staff, working alongside officers of the Sri Lanka Police Traffic Division, distributed specially designed hanging tags and stickers to drivers. The material carries a clear reminder that seat belts protect drivers as well as passengers in both the front and rear seats.
The public awareness drive was held ahead of the requirement taking effect on 20 September 2026, under which seat belt use becomes mandatory for every occupant of a vehicle travelling on an expressway.
AAC emphasized that the regulation should be understood as a life-saving measure rather than only a legal obligation. Wearing a seat belt can help prevent occupants from being thrown inside or from a vehicle during a collision and can lessen the severity of injuries.
The Association said road safety legislation must be supported by sustained public education, visible enforcement and responsible behaviour by all road users. The participation of the Traffic Police helped the campaign reach motorists directly in a busy part of central Colombo.
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