Professor Ajith Malalsekera, on Saturday, set out an ambitious three-pillar vision to shape “Tomorrow’s Surgeon” as he assumed office as President of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, pledging stronger emphasis on academia, integrity and accountability to meet future healthcare challenges.

Delivering his Presidential Induction Speech 2026 at the College headquarters in Colombo, Professor Malalsekera paid tribute to Noel and Nora Bartholomeusz, whose benevolence laid the foundation for the institution. He said successive Presidents, Councils and members had remained faithful stewards of that trust, developing the College for the benefit of surgeons, trainees and, ultimately, patients across the country.

He acknowledged the contributions of past Presidents, Council members and surgeons whose work spans national health policy, clinical guidelines, training, research and innovation. “Our surgeons provide a seamless, cost-effective service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, reaching every corner of the country, from Point Pedro to Dondra, and from Colombo to Batticaloa,” he said.

Highlighting the College’s regional and global standing, Professor Malalsekera noted strong collaborations through the South Asian Surgical Care Society, with members across South Asia, as well as partnerships with the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, the three Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom, the Royal College of Surgeons of Australia and several international surgical associations. These links, he said, had cemented the College’s position as the apex body for surgeons in Sri Lanka.

Turning to the future, the new President stressed the need to invest in the next generation of surgeons. Under the academic pillar, he underscored the importance of simulation-based training, including cadaver-based programmes already conducted in multiple surgical specialties. Drawing a parallel with flight simulators used in aviation, he said the College would actively promote simulation to enhance technical mastery and patient safety.

Research, he noted, remained a longstanding challenge due to time constraints, limited funding and lack of support infrastructure. To address this, Professor Malalsekera announced plans to launch a Collaborative Research Programme with industry partners, aimed at developing study proposals, linking local and international units, and providing research assistants and data management under the College’s umbrella.

On integrity, he said surgical practice must be guided by a strong “surgical conscience” knowing when to operate and when not to while adopting new technologies equitably and always in the patient’s best interest. Greater attention would also be paid to non-technical “power skills”, where many errors occur. Monthly cross-border case discussions with American surgical groups are to commence this month to promote ethical, evidence-based practice.

Addressing accountability, Professor Malalsekera said surgeons had a duty to deliver cost-effective care, particularly amid economic pressures. He cited past decisions, such as the introduction of laser technology for stone disease, which had yielded long-term national benefits, as examples of balanced, forward-looking investment.

He also referred to the shortage of 1,139 specialist doctors revealed by Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, warning that migration continued to drain national resources. To counter this, the College plans to enhance the professional environment and introduce a mentoring programme for newly returned surgeons, supported by senior volunteers.

“If we cultivate and beautify our garden, the birds will flock to it,” Professor Malalsekera said, calling for unity and resilience not only in times of hardship, but also in times of opportunity to take Sri Lanka’s surgical services to greater heights in 2026 and beyond.