Connect with us

Features

RESEARCH AT 16 FIVE-STAR HOTELS – PART ‘A’

Published

3 years ago

on

CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY

By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca

I was very pleased when in 1984 the University of Surrey (UoS) in the UK approved ‘Food and Beverage operations in the context of five-star London hotels’ as my M.Sc. dissertation topic. As directed by my supervisor, Professor Richard Kotas, I read all of the books – cover to cover and journal articles ever written in English about Food and Beverage management and operations. That took over two months. I was also directed by him to answer three questions, to provide context in my research undertaking:

  • = What are luxury hotels?

  • =What is the history of British luxury hotels?

  • =How does Food and Beverage management play a vital role in London five-star hotels?

What are Luxury Hotels?

Many have attempted to define a luxury hotel. The word ‘luxury’ has different meanings to different people depending on their experiences and expectations. In many classification guides in 1984, words such as ‘de-luxe’, five-star’, ‘first-class’ or ‘exclusive’ were used by hoteliers and writers.

Some felt that the large size of a hotel was a disadvantage for the hoteliers to maintain true ‘five-star’ standards. In 1984, none of the largest 18 hotels (with between 1,029 and 530 rooms) in UK, were five-star ranked. The average size of the 21 five-star hotels in UK, was 261 rooms (ranging from 509 to 86 rooms). In 1984, the average age of these 21 hotels was 55 years. A majority (16) of them were in London.

The 16 five-star London hotels had a total of 48 food and beverage outlets (an average of three per hotel). Average banqueting capacity for sit-down meals was 406. Grosvenor House had the largest banqueting operation able to accommodate 1,500 guests for a sit-down meal.

Most countries in the world use some form of hotel classification system, out of which 65 systems in 1984 were enforced by the public sector. In UK, in 1984, the key hotel grading schemes were carried out by private organizations. The most famous and respected hotel grading scheme was done by the Automobile Association (AA). In my research, I found that up to 1984, nothing academically significant had been written about the British hotel classification schemes or the five-star hotel grading. That gap provided me an opportunity.

What is the History of British Luxury Hotels?

During the eleventh century, a few monastic institutions as well as private homes in Britain were used to provide accommodation to travellers. The English inn had probably originated from the practice of receiving travellers by private householders. Religion played a vital part determining people’s habits in consumption of food and beverages. Towards the late fourteenth century, solid-stone built structures replaced the sheds operated as ale-houses and taverns in the provinces and inns in London.

With the popularity of wagons and other wheeled transport towards the end of the 16th century, a larger scale Tudor Inn operation replaced the Medieval Inn. The eighteenth century was the turning point for gastronomy in Britain. Influenced by major cities in continental Europe, such as Paris, Vienna, as well as the main cities of Switzerland, the word ‘Hotel’ became common in Britain after 1760.

Proper hotels, with managers, receptionists, porters and page-boys, gradually became common in Britain only at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Large British hotels such as The Grand, The Great Eastern, The Euston, The Charing Cross, The Great Western Royal, and The Grosvenor were developed in that era. One common feature of these hotels was that all of them were located near major railway terminals in London.

The opening of The Langham on Regent Street, London in 1865, is generally considered the origin of true luxury hotels in UK. Bailey’s Hotel was opened eleven years after that in 1876, and the world-famous London hotel, The Savoy, opened in 1889. Around the same time, a few luxury hotels were opened in well-known resort cities and towns. In 1984, the oldest British hotel with a five-star rating was The Imperial in Torquay, which was opened in 1866.

Using all British Connections for M.Sc. Research

The British hotel industry looked to London for the latest trends and London emerged easily as the trend setter of the industry. Within the five-star London hotels, the food and beverage departments appeared to be the most complex and versatile. In answering my third and most important research question – ‘How does food and beverage management play a vital role in London five-star hotels?’ I decided to work or observe in all 16 five-star hotels in London, and interview dozens of relevant managers.

During the first half of the twentieth century, most five-star hotels around the world did not make much profits from their food and beverage operations. From an economic stand point it was important to attempt to break even. More emphasis was given to rooms, because this was where the money was made. The concept of food and beverage manager or director was relatively new in the world. This concept was developed only in the 1960s by major hotel chains in USA, combining the technical know-how with the business administration skills, aiming to optimize profits.

The food and beverage manager/director of a five-star hotel usually was responsible for nearly half the hotel’s employees (in 1984, in London it was 48%) and administered a range of complex departments such as kitchens, restaurants, bars, banqueting, events, room service, stewarding, and at times, mini bars, as well as, food and beverage controls. Having gained experience as an executive chef and food and beverage manager of two small resort hotels in Sri Lanka in mid-1970s, I focused on securing the position of the food and beverage manager/director of a large five-star international hotel, by mid-1980s.

I developed a one-page research questionnaire which was mailed to all 16 five-star hotels in London. I used my previously established contacts in UK to ensure that I received prompt and positive responses from each hotel. For my research interviews, I used 14 open ended questions. I loved this research undertaking, and was passionate about it. I knew that it would help me to reach my next career goal. I wanted to do much more than what was required of me by the university. I was hungry for useful knowledge.

I commenced my research interviews with people I knew well. I travelled to Cosham and Portsmouth to interview a couple of hospitality experts who supported me during my ILO/UNDP fellowship in 1982. I also contacted two Senior Lecturers of the South Devon Technical College, who had presented a two-week Hotel Management seminar in Sri Lanka in 1982. Having attended this seminar, I became friends with them.

“Chandi, why don’t you take a break from your hectic schedule in London and visit Dr. David Dann and I in Torquay? You both spend a weekend at my home and try my wife, Clair’s British cooking skills”, Tim Hornsey invited us over the telephone. Torquay is a beautiful seaside town in Devon, with numerous archaeological remains dating back to pre-historic times. In addition to hosting us, Tim and David and their wives took us to see The Imperial. They also arranged for me to interview the renowned hotelier who managed it, Harry Murray.

Using Part-time Work for Research

My readings, research interviews and informal discussions provided an enormous amount of data pertaining to my research topic. In addition, I collected many brochures, menus, wine cards, promotional material, control documents etc. from most of the London five-star hotels. These were carefully analysed prior to writing the dissertation. However, mid-way during the research activity, I felt strongly that in order to obtain insight into the actual hotel operations, it would be ideal to work in different capacities in various hotels.

I continued to work at The Dorchester as a part-time banquet waiter. Due to that valuable experience in the best hotel in UK, I was able to find part-time work in two other five-star hotels on Park Lane – London Hilton and InterContinental London. I also began working as a part-time banquet waiter at Claridge’s, which had opened in the nineteenth century. Doing similar work in four five-star hotels concurrently, provided me an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast their standards in food and beverage operations and banqueting.

Although I liked the old-world charm of Claridge’s and The Dorchester, I found that the food and beverage operations of the newer (originally) American chain hotels, InterContinental and Hilton, were far more efficient. Having previously worked at two InterContinental hotels in two other countries (Sri Lanka in 1973 and Hong Kong in 1981), I was familiar with their standards of operation in banquets. I was most impressed with the London Hilton, which had the most efficiently managed banquet operation in London.

As the demand on me to work as a banquet waiter in London increased, I became very busy. Often, I did three-hour shifts for meal services only. For such a short shift, I was paid only £8.40. On some days, I did three shifts in three hotels for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, I did research interviews. I became keen in gaining different types of five-star hotel experiences in London at a higher level.

Using Management Trainee Positions for Research

I spoke with my friend, Mr. Wilfred Weragoda, the Food & Beverage Controller of The Dorchester. Based on my new request, he arranged for me to spend two weeks in his department as a Food & Beverage Controls Trainee. In addition to learning different aspects of Food and Beverage operations, that brief exposure opened new doors for me.

One day, I interviewed W. A. Lipscombe, Managing Director of Hallway Hotels in his office in London. He was a friend of Mark Bostock, then Chairman of John Keells Group, who arranged my first Management Trainee assignment in UK with Trust House Forte in 1979. Due to their friendship, I was able to secure with good pay an excellent management trainee position in a 500-room five-star hotel in London. Lipscombe told me, “Chandi, hotels in my company are not five-star. Therefore, I will use a good contact of mine – The Managing Director of The Churchill, to arrange six weeks exposure in six departments for you. I will tell Mark that I did you a favour.”

The Churchill experience was excellent. I spent a week each in six departments – purchasing, receiving bay and stores, food and beverage controls and accounts department, reservations, banquets, restaurants and room service, and finally, kitchen. I also did a few research interviews, there. The most useful interview was given to me on my last day at The Churchill, by the company’s Managing Director, G. Webb. I was also exposed to The Churchill’s four-star sister hotel in London, The Montcalm.

I was encouraged with the success of my Management Trainee assignments at The Dorchester and The Churchill, in the context of enhancing my graduate research and acquiring experience and knowledge. These exposures also improved my résumé. With that enthusiasm, I approached my contacts at Trust House Forte, who arranged a short Management Trainee assignment for me at the 85-year-old five-star, The Hyde Park Hotel. There, I worked directly under its veteran General Manager, A. Grosso, who also gave me an opportunity to conduct one of my longest and useful research interviews.

Soon after that I was sent to the Trust House Forte Group’s flagship hotel, Grosvenor House, for a couple of weeks. I was pleased with this opportunity as Grosvenor House had the largest five-star Food and Beverage operations in UK. I did a few more research interviews there. One of those I interviewed was Ben Davis, the Food & Beverage Manager. In 1990’s both Ben and I held the same position in the Caribbean, as the General Manager of Trust House Forte’s 360-room five-star hotel – Jamaica Pegasus/Forte Grand.

I enjoyed full-day orientations at four five-star hotels in London at the commencement of each of my Management Trainee assignments. The most memorable orientation was at The Dorchester, due to one gentleman who made a big, positive impact. It was Udo Schlentrich, General Manager of The Dorchester. He was the only General Manager who met each group of new employees during their orientation. This Austrian-born hotelier trained in the best two hotel schools in the world (Lausanne in Switzerland and Cornell in USA), said something during the orientation, which remained permanently in my mind.

Udo Schlentrich said, “Thank you for joining the best British hotel – The Dorchester. Ladies and gentleman, as the General Manager I am just the conductor of the orchestra, but it is all of you who provide the music. Please do your best, to make our customer happy.” After that he had his lunch at the staff cafeteria with the new employees in the orientation. He sat next to me and had a friendly chat over lunch. He also gave me a research interview. Udo was a big inspiration to me. In later years, like me, at the hight of his hotel career he did a doctorate and became a professor.

The rest of my career, whenever there was an orientation in a hotel which I managed, I thought of what Udo Schlentrich did at the Dorchester in 1984, and I did something similar. The best practices one learns in the real-world trumps academic learning in universities.

Will continue in next week’s column: ‘Research at 16 Five-star Hotels – Part ‘B”.


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Features

The middle-class money trap: Why looking rich keeps Sri Lankans poor

Published

2 hours ago

on

2026/01/21

By

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLmfO0mqGoL/

Every January, we make grand resolutions about our finances. We promise ourselves we’ll save more, spend less, and finally get serious about investments. By March, most of these promises were abandoned, alongside our unused gym memberships.

The problem isn’t our intentions, it’s our approach. We treat financial management as a personality flaw that needs fixing, rather than a skill that needs the right strategy. This year let’s try something different. Let’s put actual behavioural science behind how we handle our rupees.

Based on the article ‘Seven proven, realistic ways to improve your finances in 2026’ published on 1news.co.nz, I aim to adapt these recommended financial strategies to the Sri Lankan context.” Here are seven money habits that work because they’re grounded in how humans actually behave, not how we wish we would.

While these strategies offer useful direction for strengthening personal financial management, it is important to acknowledge that they may not be suitable for everyone. Many households face severe financial pressure and cannot realistically follow traditional income allocation frameworks, such as the well-known but outdated Singalovada Sutta guidelines, when even meeting daily food expenses has become a struggle. For individuals and families who are burdened by escalating costs of essentials, including electricity, water, mobile connectivity, transport, and other non-negotiable commitments, strict adherence to prescriptive models is neither practical nor fair to expect. Therefore, readers should remain mindful of their own financial realities and adapt these strategies in ways that align with their income levels, essential obligations, and broader personal circumstances.

1. Your Money Problems Aren’t Moral Failures, They’re Data Points

When every rupee misspent becomes evidence of personal failure, we stop looking for solutions. Shame is a terrible problem-solver. It makes us hide from our bank statements, avoid difficult conversations, and repeat the same mistakes because we’re too embarrassed to examine them.

Instead, try replacing judgment with curiosity. Transform “I’m terrible with money” into “That’s interesting, why did I make that choice?” Suddenly, mistakes become information rather than indictments. You might notice you overspend at Odel or high-end restaurant when stressed about work. Or that you commit to expensive plans when feeling socially pressured. Perhaps your online shopping peaks during power cuts when you’re bored and frustrated.

2. Forget the Year-Long Marathon, Focus on 90-Day Sprints

A Sri Lankan year is densely packed with financial obligations: Sinhala/Tamil Avurudu, Christmas, Vesak, and Poson celebrations; recurring school fees; seasonal festival shopping; wedding and almsgiving periods; yearend festivities; and an evergrowing list of marketing-driven occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and many others. Each of these events carries its own financial weight, often placing additional pressure on already-stretched household budgets.

Research consistently shows that shorter time frames work better. Ninety days is long enough to create a meaningful change, but short enough to maintain focus and momentum. So instead of one overwhelming annual goal, give yourself four quarterly upgrades.

In the first quarter, the focus may be on organising your contributions toward key duties and responsibilities, while also ensuring that you are maximising the available benefits for your designated beneficiaries. Quarter two could be about building a small emergency fund, even Rs. 10,000 provides breathing room. Quarter three might involve auditing your bills and subscriptions to eliminate unnecessary expenses. Quarter four could be when you finally start that investment you’ve been postponing. You don’t need superhuman discipline or complicated spreadsheets, just focused attention, one quarter at a time.

3. Make One Decision That Eliminates Weekly Worry

The best money decisions are the ones you make once but benefit from repeatedly. These are decisions that permanently reduce what behavioural economists call “decision fatigue”, the mental exhaustion that comes from constantly managing money in your head. What’s one choice you could make today that would remove a recurring financial worry?

It might be setting up an automatic standing order to transfer Rs. 10,000 to savings the day your salary arrives, before you can spend it. Maybe it’s consolidating your scattered savings accounts into one that actually pays decent return.

These aren’t dramatic moves that require personality transplants. They’re structural decisions that work with your human tendency toward inertia rather than against it. Most banks now offer seamless digital automation. You can set it up once and benefit from that decision every single month without additional effort or willpower. You make the decision once. You benefit all year. That’s leveraging your energy intelligently.

4. Stop Spending on Who You Think You Should Be

Sri Lankan society comes with heavy expectations. The car you drive, the school your children attend, the hotels you patronise, the brands you wear, all communicate your worth, or so we’re told. Much of our spending isn’t about actual enjoyment. It’s about meeting unspoken expectations, keeping up appearances, or aspiring to a version of us that doesn’t actually exist.

We buy expensive saris we’ll wear once because everyone does. We maintain memberships to clubs we rarely visit because it looks good. We say yes to weekend plans at overpriced restaurants because declining feels like admitting we can’t afford it. We upgrade phones not because ours stopped working, but because others have.

Before your next purchase, ask yourself: do I actually want this, or do I want to want it? If it’s the second one, walk away. You won’t miss it. This isn’t about deprivation, it’s about precision. When you stop spending to perform and start spending to support the life you genuinely enjoy, money pressure eases dramatically. Your resources align with your actual values rather than imagined expectations.

Maybe you don’t care about fancy restaurants, but you love long drives along the southern coast. Maybe branded clothing leaves you cold, but you’d spend any amount on art supplies or books. That’s fine. Spend accordingly.

5. Break One Habit, See If You Actually Miss It

We’re creatures of routine, which serves us well until those routines outlive their usefulness. Sometimes we spend money on habits that started for good reasons but no longer serve us. Alpechchathava, in Buddha’s teaching, means living contentedly with few desires. It guides a person to manage money wisely by avoiding excess spending, unnecessary debt, and craving, and by focusing on essential needs and wholesome priorities. In this way, wealth supports mental cultivation, generosity, and spiritual progress.

The daily kottu roti that once felt like a convenient solution after working late may now have turned into an unnecessary routine. Similarly, frequent P&S or Caravan snack runs, and the habit of picking up sugary treats like cakes and sweets, are not only costly but also wellknown to be unhealthy, as nutritionists consistently point out. Beyond food, other expenses such as magazine subscriptions, the monthly coffee meetup, or weekend mall browsing often continue on autopilot without us realising how much they add up. These seemingly small, habitual expenses can quietly drain your budget while offering very little longterm value.

Try this experiment: keep a money diary for one week. Note every expense, no matter how small. Then identify one regular spend and eliminate it for the following week. If you don’t miss it? Excellent, keep it gone. If you genuinely miss it? Add it back without guilt. This isn’t about permanent sacrifice.

It’s about snapping yourself out of autopilot and checking whether your spending still reflects your current reality, priorities and purchasing power. You might discover you’re spending Rs. 15,000 monthly on things you barely notice.

6. Create Your Crisis Playbook on a Good Day

Many financial disasters don’t happen because we’re careless, they happen because we’re panicked. When crisis strikes, job loss, medical emergency, unexpected business downturn, fear hijacks our decision-making. Our rational brain exists while panic makes expensive choices: high-interest personal loans, selling investments at losses, making commitments we can’t sustain.

The solution? Make your crisis plan before the crisis arrives. On a calm day, sit down and document: If I lost my income tomorrow, what would I do first? Which expenses are truly essential? What’s the absolute minimum I need to function? Who could I call for advice? Which savings are untouchable, which could be accessed if necessary? What government support or loan restructuring options exist (Not in Sri Lanka)? This is a sort of preparation for sudden shocks.

7. Question the Money Stories You Inherited

Sometimes our biggest financial obstacles aren’t failed attempts, they’re the attempts we never make because we’ve internalised limiting stories. “Our family was never good with money.” “Investing is for rich people.” “I’m just not the type who earns more.” “Women don’t understand finance.” These narratives, absorbed from family, culture, or past experiences, become invisible fences.

Question them. Where did this belief originate? Is it actually true, or is it a story you’ve been telling yourself for so long, it feels like fact? What would happen if you tested it? Often, these stories protect us from the discomfort of trying and potentially failing. But they also protect us from the possibility of succeeding. And that’s a far costlier protection than most of us realise.

The Bottom Line

Improving your finances in 2026 doesn’t require becoming a different person. It requires understanding the person you already are, your patterns, triggers, and tendencies, and working with them rather than against them.

These aren’t magic solutions. They’re evidence-based approaches that acknowledge a simple truth: you’re not broken, and your money management doesn’t need fixing through willpower alone. It needs better systems, clearer thinking, and a lot less shame.

Continue Reading

Features

Public scepticism regarding paediatric preventive interventions

Published

2 hours ago

on

2026/01/21

By

A significant portion of the history of paediatrics is a triumph of prevention. From the simple act of washing hands to the miracle of vaccines, preventive strategies have been the unsung heroes, drastically lowering child mortality rates and setting the stage for healthier, longer lives across the globe. Simple measures like promoting personal hygiene, ensuring the proper use of toilets, and providing Vitamin K immediately after birth to prevent dangerous bleeding, have profound impacts. Advanced interventions like inhalers for asthma, robust trauma care systems, and even cutting-edge genetic manipulations are testament to the relentless and wonderful progress of paediatric science.

A shining beacon that has signified increased survival and marked reductions in mortality across the board in all paediatric age groups has been the development of various preventive strategies in the science of children’s health, from newborns to adolescents. The institution of such proven measures across the globe, has resulted in gains that are almost too good to be true. From a Sri Lankan perspective, these measures have contributed towards the unbelievable reduction of the under-5-year mortality rate from over 100 per 1000 live births in the 1960s to the seminal single-digit figure of 07 per 1000 live births in the 2020s.

Yet for all this, despite the overwhelming evidence of success, a most worrying trend is emerging. That is public scepticism and pessimism regarding these vital interventions. This doubt is not a benign phenomenon; it poses a real danger to the health of our children. At the heart of this challenge lies the potent, often insidious, spread of misinformation and disinformation.

The success of any preventive health strategy in paediatrics rests not just on its scientific efficacy, but on parental cooperation and commitment. When parents hesitate or refuse to follow recommended guidelines, the shield of prevention is compromised. Today, the most potent threat to this partnership is the flood of false information.

Misinformation is false information spread unintentionally. A well-meaning friend sharing a rumour about a vaccine side-effect they heard online is spreading misinformation.

Disinformation is false information deliberately created and disseminated to cause harm or sow doubt. This often comes from organised groups or individuals with vested interests; sometimes financial, sometimes ideological, who seek to undermine public trust in medical institutions and scientific consensus.

The digital age, particularly social media, has become the prime breeding ground for these falsehoods. Complex scientific data is reduced to emotionally charged, simplistic, and often sensationalist soundbites that travel faster and farther than the truth.

The most visible battleground is childhood vaccination. Decades of robust, high-quality research have confirmed vaccines as one of the most cost-effective and successful public health interventions ever conceived. Global vaccination efforts have saved an estimated 150 million lives in the past 50 years, eradicating or drastically controlling diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, and tetanus.

However, a single, long-retracted, and scientifically debunked paper claiming a link between the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism continues to be weaponised by disinformation campaigns. This persistent myth, despite being soundly disproven, taps into deep-seated fears about children’s development. Other common vaccine myths target ingredients such as trace amounts of aluminium or mercury, which are harmless in the quantities used and often less than what is naturally found in food or the idea that “natural immunity” from infection is superior, totally ignoring the fact that natural infection carries the devastating risk of severe complications, long-term disability, and even death. The tangible consequence of this doubt is the dropping of childhood vaccination rates in various communities, leading to the wholly unnecessary re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.

Scepticism is not limited to vaccines. It can touch any area of paediatric preventive care where an intervention might seem unnecessary, invasive, or have perceived risks. Routine screenings for speech disorders, motor skills, or mental health issues can sometimes be perceived as medicalising normal childhood variations or putting a “label” on a child. Parents may resist or delay screening, missing the critical window for early intervention of proven measures that are likely to help. Advice on managing childhood obesity, reducing screen time, or adopting a balanced diet can be viewed by some parents as intrusive or judgmental, leading to poor adherence to essential health-promoting behaviours.

The regular use of inhalers for asthma or other chronic conditions might be looked down upon due to the fear of “dependency”, “addiction”, or long-term side effects, despite medical consensus that these preventive measures keep conditions controlled and prevent life-threatening exacerbations.

The common thread is a lack of understanding of the risk-benefit ratio. Parents, bombarded by fear-mongering narratives, often overestimate the rare, mild risks of an intervention while catastrophically underestimating the severe and permanent risks of the disease or condition itself.

The power of paediatric preventive medicine is not in a single shot or pill, but in the consistent, committed partnership between healthcare providers and parents. Paediatric science, driven by rigorous evidence-based medicine, do continue to refine guidelines, conduct transparent research, and communicate its findings clearly. When guidelines are confusing or lack robust evidence, it naturally creates openings for doubt. The scientific community’s commitment to continuous quality improvement and accessibility is paramount.

Ultimately, the success of prevention rests with the parents. Parenting, as a vital form of preventive care, includes all activities that raise happy, healthy, and capable children. The simple, non-medical steps mentioned in the introduction, proper handwashing, good sanitation, and encouraging exercise, are all forms of parental preventive intervention.

For more complex interventions, parental commitment requires several actions. They need to seek and trust the guidance provided by qualified healthcare professionals over anonymous, unsubstantiated online claims. They need to engage in an open dialogue by asking relevant questions and expressing concerns to doctors in an open, non-confrontational manner. A good healthcare provider will use this as an opportunity to educate and build trust, and not a portal to simply dismiss concerns. Then, of course, there is the spectre of adherence to various protocols and actions by the parents. These include consistently following recommended schedules, whether for well-child checkups, vaccinations, or daily medication protocols.

Addressing public scepticism requires a multi-pronged, collaborative strategy. It is not just about correcting false facts (debunking), but about building resilience against future falsehoods (prebunking). The single most influential voice in a parent’s decision-making process is their paediatrician or primary care provider. Clinicians must move beyond simply reciting facts. They need to use empathetic communication techniques, like Motivational Interviewing (MI), which focuses on active listening, validating parental concerns, and then collaboratively guiding them toward evidence-based decisions. For example, responding with, “I hear you’re worried about the side-effects you read about. Can I share what we know from decades of safety monitoring?” Being open about common, minor side effects such as a short-lasting fever after a vaccine pre-empts the shock and distrust that occurs when an expected, yet unmentioned, reaction happens.

Public health campaigns must go on the offensive, not just a defensive fact-checking spree. Teaching the general public how disinformation works, the use of “fake experts”, selective cherry-picked data, and conspiracy theories all add up to a most powerful form of inoculation (prebunking) against future exposure. Health institutions must simplify their communications and make verified, high-quality information easily accessible on platforms where parents are already looking.

Parents often trust their peers as much as their doctors. Engaging local community leaders, faith leaders, and even trusted social media influencers to share accurate, positive messages about paediatric health can shift the public narrative at a grassroots level. While protecting privacy, sharing aggregate data and stories about the dramatic decline in childhood diseases thanks to prevention can re-emphasise the collective good.

The battle against child mortality and morbidity has been one of the great human achievements, a testament to scientific ingenuity and collective effort. Today, the greatest threat to maintaining these gains is not a new virus, but a breakdown of trust fuelled by unchecked falsehoods.

Paediatric preventive interventions, from a cake of soap and a proper toilet to the most sophisticated genetic therapies, are the foundation of a healthy future for every child. To secure this future, the scientific community must remain transparent, the healthcare system must lead with empathy, and the public must commit to informed, critical thinking. By rejecting the noise of disinformation and embracing the clear, evidence-based consensus of science, we can ensure that every child continues to benefit from the life-saving progress that defines modern paediatrics. The well-being of the next generation demands nothing less than this renewed commitment.

Little children are not in a position to make abiding decisions regarding their health, especially regarding preventive strategies in health. It is ultimately the crucial decisions made by responsible parents regarding the health of their children that really matter. As doctors, our commitment is never to leave any child behind.

by Dr B. J. C. Perera  ✍️
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paediatrics), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lond), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony. FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Joint Editor, Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health
Section Editor, Ceylon Medical Journal

Continue Reading

Features

Attacks on PM vulgar, misogynistic; education reforms welcome

Published

2 hours ago

on

2026/01/21

By

PM Amarasuriya

We express our profound concern and deep outrage at the vulgar, misogynistic, and defamatory attacks being directed at the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya is not merely a political leader; she is a scholar, public intellectual, and lifelong advocate of social justice, equality, and education. Attempts to discredit her through personal abuse rather than reasoned policy debate are not only an insult to her, but an assault on democratic values, women’s leadership, and intellectual integrity in public life.

Such attacks are unjust and unethical, and they corrode democratic discourse. We are deeply disappointed that certain political actors and their supporters continue to rely on misinformation, prejudice, and emotional manipulation, instead of engaging in rational, evidence-based, and constructive debate.

Sri Lanka has already paid a heavy price for decades of politics rooted in fear, communal division, and sentiment-driven populism. The country’s economic collapse and social breakdown are the direct consequences of these failed approaches. The people decisively rejected this style of politics through the Aragalaya, signaling a clear demand for change. Sri Lanka now stands at a historic turning point. After decades of corruption, ethnic manipulation, and policy paralysis, the people have given a clear mandate for systemic reform.

At this critical moment, Sri Lanka urgently needs structural reforms, particularly in education, which is the foundation of long-term national development, social mobility, and global competitiveness. Yet we observe that the very forces responsible for the country’s decline are once again attempting to block or derail reforms by exploiting religious, cultural, and emotional narratives.

We strongly affirm that no nation can be rebuilt through hatred, fear, or division. Education reform is not a political threat; it is a national necessity. Efforts to undermine reform through personal attacks and manufactured controversies serve only those who seek to return to power by keeping the country weak, divided, and intellectually impoverished.

Those who now attack Dr. Harini Amarasuriya are not defending culture or morality. They are defending privilege and political survival. Having failed the country for over seventy-five years through communalism, patronage, and anti-intellectualism, they now fear that an educated, critical, and empowered generation will render their outdated politics irrelevant.

This is why they target:

=a woman,

=an academic,

=and a reformer.

We therefore state clearly that we:

1. Condemn all forms of character assassination, gender-based attacks, and hate propaganda against the Prime Minister and Minister of Education.

2. Affirm our full support for Dr. Harini Amarasuriya’s leadership in advancing Sri Lanka’s education reforms.

3. Urge the government to proceed firmly and without retreat in implementing the proposed education reforms, in line with national policy and the public mandate.

4. Call upon academics, professionals, teachers, parents, and citizens to stand together against reactionary forces that seek to sabotage reform through fear mongering and disinformation.

A country cannot be rebuilt by those who destroyed it. A future cannot be created by those who fear education reforms.

Sri Lanka’s future must not be sacrificed for the ambitions of a few.Sri Lanka must move forward — with knowledge, dignity, and courage.

Signatories:

1. Markandu Thiruvathavooran, Attorney at law

2. S. Arivalzahan, University of Jaffna

3. Dr S.Ramesh, University of Jaffna

4. Dr. Mariadas Alfred, Former Dean, University of Peradeniya

5. Prof B.Nimalathasan, Senior Professor, University of Jaffna

6. S. Srivakeesan, Station Master, SriLankan Railways

7. A. T. Aravinthan, Branch Manager, Commercial Bank

8. Dr. S. Niththiyaruban, Paediatrician, Teaching Hospital, Jaffna

9. Dr. S. Selvaganesh, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Teaching Hospital, Jaffna

10. Dr. S. Mathievaanan, Consultant Surgeon, Teaching Hospital, Jaffna

11. Prof. P. Iyngaran, University of Jaffna

12. Eng. M. Sooriasegaram, President, Education Development Consortium

13. Dr. S. Raviraj, Senior Consultant Surgeon, Former Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University, Jaffna.

14. Mr. Saminadan Wimal, University of Jaffna

15. Dr. A. Antonyrajan, University of Jaffna

16. P. Regno, Attorney at Law

17. Prof. J. Prince Jeyadevan, University of Jaffna

18. Prof. S. Muhunthan, University of Jaffna

19. Prof. R. Kapilan, University of Jaffna

20. Dr. S. Jeevasuthan, University of Jaffna

21. J.S. Thevaruban, University of Jaffna

22. S. Balaputhiran, University of Jaffna

23. Dr. N. Sivapalan, Retired Senior lecturer, University of Jaffna

24. I. P. Dhanushiyan, University of Jaffna

25. Dr. K. Thabotharan, University of Jaffna

26. Dr. Bahirathy J. Rasanen, University of Jaffna

27. Perinpanayagam Ronibus, Vice Secretary, Change Charitable Trust, Jaffna

28. Dr. S. Maheswaran, University of Peradeniya

29. Mr. S. Laleesan, Principal, Kopay Teachers’ College

30. Victor Antany, Teacher, Kilinochchi

31. K. Shanthakumar, Principal, Technical College, Vavuniya

32. S. Thirikaran, Principal, J/ Puttur Srisomaskanda College

33. Dr. T. Vannarajan, Advanced Technical Institute, Jaffna.

34. X. Don Bosco, Resource person, Piliyandala Educational Zone

35. K. Ravikumar, Regional Manager, Powerhands Pvt Ltd

36. Sathiyapriya Jeyaseelan, DO, Economist

37. A. Kalaichelvan, Chief Accountant, Animal Productive & Health

38. C. Vathanakumar, Retired Project Director

39. P. Kirupakaran, Department of Buildings (NP)

40. A. Antony Pilinton, David Peris Company, Jaffna

41. A. Muralietharan, Social Activist

42. Sinthuja Sritharan, Independent Researcher

43. T. Sritharan, Social Activist

44. Ms. Gnasakthi Sritharan, Social Activist

45. P. Thevatharsan, Management Service Officer

46. . S. Mohan, Social Activist

47. K. Jeyakumaran, Social Activist

48. Dr. N. Nithianandan, Chairman, Ratnam Foundation

49. George Antony Cristy, Social Activist

50. S. Thangarasa, Social Activist

51. N. Bhavan, Retd. Deputy Principal, Mahajana College

52. P. Muthulingam, Executive Director, Institute of Social Development, Kandy

53. M.K. Sivarajah, Social Activist

54. Mr. V. Sivalingam, Human Rights Activist

55. S. Jeyaganeshan, Samuthi Development Officer

Continue Reading

Trending