Business

Saving lives in maternal cardiac care: A novel approach to safety and excellence

Published

8 months ago

2025/06/13

Dr Sanath Akmeemana President SLCOG presenting the Orator’s medal and certificate to Dr Gamini Galappatthy Senior Consultant Cardiologist NHSL.

Professor D E Gunatilleke Memorial Oration of the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists was delivered by Dr Gamini Galappatthy Senior Consultant Cardiologist at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Sanath Akmeemana President of the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists awards the oration medal to Dr. Gamini Galappatthy Senior Consultant Cardiologist, he delivered the prestigious Professor D E Gunatilaka memorial oration at the Samson Rajapaksha auditorium of the SLCOG House on May 25, 2025. The oration was titled ‘Heart Disease and Pregnancy – The Crossroads Well Signposted Will Prevent Disasters’.

Prof. D.E. Gunatilleke Oration

Prof. D.E. Gunatilleke was a renowned consultant obstetrician and gynecologist and former President of SLCOG 1979-1981 has made invaluable contributions to obstetrics and gynecology in Sri Lanka—his legacy continues to inspire generations. He was born in 1924 and entered Colombo Medical College in 1944 passing MBBS with a brilliant academic record in 1949. He continued to shine both academically and clinically obtaining his membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, London as the best student from the British Commonwealth. A pioneer in introducing laparoscopic gynecological surgery, he died in 1983 having served the country for nearly four decades. This prestigious annual oration in memory of late Prof D E Gunatilleke honors his values of meticulous clinical practice, kindness and integrity and was attended by many members of his family.

This year’s Prof. D.E. Gunatilleke Memorial Oration titled “Heart Disease and Pregnancy – the Crossroads Well Signposted Will Prevent Disasters”, was brilliantly delivered by my classmate from Royal College, Dr. Gamini Galappatthy MBBS, MD, MRCP-UK, FRCP London, FCCP, FACC, FESC, FAPSC, Senior Consultant Cardiologist at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.

A Personal Connection to the Oration

Attending this distinguished oration carried deep personal meaning to me—not only because of my lifelong friendship with Gamini since our early years at Royal College but also due to my late father, Dr.

D.V.H. Silva, who was a fellow member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (UK) and its Sri Lankan affiliate, SLCOG. Among the audience were many of my late father’s colleagues and former students, adding a sense of both legacy and professional camaraderie to the occasion.

Listening to Dr. Gamini Galappatthy’s oration, I recognized the critical need to elevate awareness of maternal cardiac care, prompting me to contribute through a paper article—exploring the paradigm shift he advocates in obstetric patient care to prevent crises at pivotal junctures.

The ‘crossroads’- learning to navigate safely

The crossroads are real — every pregnant woman with heart disease stands at one. Gamini’s use of the metaphor of a dangerous crossroads between pregnancy and heart disease was appropriate and illustrative. Traveling down either road one encounters many inherent dangers but coming to the junction unprepared could end in disaster!. A maternal death is a tragic and largely preventable disaster at the cross roads, a majority due to heart disease in Sri Lanka. In addition to snatching a woman’s life in the prime, the socio-economic impact of a maternal death is wide and far reaching. With the right signposts, collaboration, and a shift to proactive safety thinking, the obstetric teams can ensure these women navigate the crossroads safely.

Gamini provided novel insights into the ‘Safety-I’ and ‘Safety-II’ frameworks as applicable to maternal cardiac care—emphasizing the importance of learning as done at present, from mistakes, risk identification and error prevention (Safety-I) while also highlighting the need for a broader approach of additionally studying successful practices and successful outcomes (Safety-II) to enhance success in patient care. His emphasized on multidisciplinary collaboration, early risk assessments, and optimized treatment protocols as the cornerstones of proactive maternal healthcare.

The concepts of Safety I and Safety II which Gamini highlighted, were first proposed by Professors Erik Hollnagel [Denmark] in a 2013 paper. These are currently being recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) UK and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), UK.

The novel Safety II approach proposed by Gamini in his oration for the field of obstetrics and gynecology in Sri Lanka, especially in the context of heart disease management in pregnancy, was well received by the esteemed audience at the oration consisting of consultant obstetricians, physicians, cardiologists and medical administrators.

The oration was spread out as below proposing a paradigm shift in thinking to enhance maternal cardiac care in Sri Lanka by applying the Safety-I and Safety-II Frameworks

Maternal cardiac care in Sri Lanka is of particular importance, as preventable cardiovascular complications during pregnancy remain a leading cause of maternal mortality. To enhance patient outcomes, healthcare providers must shift from the retrospective focus of Safety-I—centered on failures, risk identification, and error prevention—to the proactive principles of Safety-II, which emphasize successful practices, positive outcomes, and the implementation of guideline recommendations. Shifting to Safety-II framework could enhance patient safety by minimizing risks while optimizing best practices.

Gamini shared maternal mortality statistics and heart disease in pregnancy statistics for Sri Lanka and described outcomes and trends over the past several decades to the present day and compared SL statistics with global and regional benchmarks. He also emphasized key aspects of the WHO maternal heart disease risk stratification and European Society of Cardiology guidelines on managing heart diseases in pregnancy.

The Safety-I and novel Safety-II concept Gamini described is as follows-

Safety-I: Learning from failures

Sri Lanka’s maternal healthcare system, recognized as one of the best globally, still faces several challenges, including a relatively high maternal mortality ratio compared to the best in the world largely due to late diagnoses of heart conditions and limited access to specialized cardiac care.

Safety-I principles aim to address these risks by conducting WHO initiated Maternal Death Surveillance Response [MDSR] meetings at national level after a maternal death to arrive at the cause of maternal deaths. Such data are analyzed by the Ministry of Health to derive a set of globally accepted and comparable statistical parameters such as the maternal mortality ratio and causes of maternal mortality.

In Sri Lanka 2001-2020 a leading cause of maternal mortality was heart disease. Of these, rheumatic valvular heart disease, mainly mitral valve stenosis, was the leading cause. It is estimated that 60% of these deaths are preventable by early diagnosis.

Learning from failures, these statistics allow healthcare providers to identify and eliminate future hazards before they escalate and put in place measures to reduce future preventable complications such as-

Improved Screening Protocols – Strengthening early detection of cardiac conditions in pregnant women.

Standardized Emergency Response – Training medical personnel to recognize warning signs and react swiftly.

Medication and Treatment Guidelines – Ensuring consistency in prescribing safe drugs for cardiac patients.

Safety-II: Learning from Successes

To improve patient outcomes, healthcare providers must transition from the current Safety-I framework to the Safety-II approach, which enhances patient outcomes by building upon Safety-I and incorporating proactive measures. It is estimated from a recent analysis in USA that 1-4% of pregnant women have heart disease. In Sri Lanka this would account for around 2500 pregnant mothers annually with heart disease, a large majority of whom undergo successful pregnancies and who are delivered through the crossroads safely by their obstetrics teams.

Learning from the successful outcomes includes:

Analyzing Successful Case Studies – Understanding how hospitals with lower maternal mortality rates manage cardiac emergencies.

Encouraging Interdisciplinary Collaboration – Strengthening teamwork between cardiologists, obstetricians, and anesthetists for more integrated care.

Leveraging Community-Based Healthcare – Expanding maternal cardiac monitoring at primary healthcare centers for early interventions.

Sharing the success of implementing evidence-based guidelines for managing heart disease in pregnancy by international cardiology societies.

By shifting focus from avoiding mistakes to replicating successful practices, Sri Lanka can create a resilient maternal cardiac care system that improves survival rates and overall healthcare effectiveness.

In summary Dr. Gamini Galappatthy in his oration said that,

A globally recognized paradigm shift from the present Safety-I to a Safety-II approach which builds upon Safety-I by integrating additional proactive measures to enhance patient outcomes, would ensure that Sri Lanka’s maternal cardiac care system is both reactive to failures and proactive in promoting success. By integrating ‘signposts’ such as early risk identification, evidence-based successful strategies and a multi-disciplinary approach, disasters at the Heart Disease and Pregnancy ‘crossroads’ can be prevented and the crossroads navigated safely.

By Dharshan Silva ✍️

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Business

Remotely conducted Business Forum in Paris attracts reputed French companies

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/8

Thilina Walpola

The “Sri Lanka Business Forum 2026” was organized by MEDEF International, the French Business Confederation of leading French companies, in partnership with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France, on 30 January 2026 at the MEDEF Office in Paris. The event, which was held in hybrid format, had a solid line up of reputed French companies participating.

Delivering the keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka Chathuranga Abeysinghe presented the Government’s policy framework and the reform agenda aimed at strengthening investor confidence, improving ease of doing business, and accelerating export-led growth. The Deputy Minister elaborated on upcoming legislative reforms, including amendments to the Minerals Act, the Colombo Port City legislative framework, implementation of the Investment Single Window, and the Government’s broader digitization drive which would contribute towards enhancing transparency and business confidence.

Highlighting Sri Lanka’s comparative advantage in the South and Southeast Asian region, the Deputy Minister emphasized France’s role as a strategic investment partner, while inviting French companies to engage with Sri Lanka. The Deputy Minister’s address was followed by a vibrant Q&A where he responded to several questions posed.

The Forum was moderated by Chairman of the France–Sri Lanka Business Council at MEDEF International and Advisor to the Chairman of the Michelin Group, Eric Le Corre.

Delivering welcome remarks, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Manisha Gunasekera applauded the convening of the Forum a first step in broadening and deepening the investment partnership. She appreciated the role of MEDEF in connecting reputed French companies with potential investors and partners in Sri Lanka.

The Executive Director of the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka Priyanka Samaraweera, in her presentation detailed, inter alia, investor facilitation measures, fiscal incentives including tax holidays, tariff benefits under preferential trade agreements, and upcoming industrial zones. The BOI also invited potential French investors to participate in the upcoming Investors’ Forum scheduled to be held in Colombo on 30 March 2026.

The presentation of the CEO of Orange Marine, Didier Dillard on the company’s successful collaboration with Colombo Dockyard PLC in building their cable vessel “Sophie Germain” in 2023; and two additional vessels scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029, helped position Sri Lanka as an attractive and competitive investment destination.

The Embassy highlighted “Sri Lanka Expo 2026” which will be held in Colombo from 18-21 June 2026, as a key global platform for buyers and investors; and encouraged French companies to participate.

Reputed French companies, SNCF, Bureau Veritas, Carrefour, Deviseo Fret, Emovis SAS, Union de Banques Arabes et Françaises (UBAF), Michelin, and Top Tech College, participated in the Forum, thus demonstrating the interest among French cooperates in doing business with Sri Lanka. The participating companies reaffirmed that the engagement marked a first step in expanding dialogue and collaboration between France and Sri Lanka.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, and the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB) also participated in the forum. The Forum was organised by the Commercial Section of the Embassy led by First Secretary (Commerce) Prasadi Boomawalage, in consultation with relevant stakeholders. The success of the Forum reflects the strong commitment of the parties concerned to organise a broader, outcome-oriented engagement with the French private sector in the future.

Business

LANKATILES Celebrates the Grand Opening of Its 58th Showroom in Historic Galle

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/8

Thilina Walpola

From left: Priyantha Talwatte, Managing Director of LT PLC, LWT PLC and LC PLC, and K. K. Samanthilaka, Engineer and Deputy Chief Secretary (Engineering Services), Southern Province, ceremonially cutting the ribbon to declare open the new LANKATILES branch in Galle.

Sri Lanka’s leading tile manufacturer, LANKATILES, proudly announces the grand opening of its 58th showroom and second in the Galle located at No. 145, Matara Road, Pettigala Watta, Galle. This latest addition marks a significant milestone in LANKATILES’ continued journey of design excellence, innovation, and trusted service built over more than five decades.

Inspired by the heritage charm and timeless architecture of Galle, a UNESCO-valued destination renowned for its cultural tapestry and historic streets, the new showroom blends local architectural heritage with contemporary living needs, truly Creating Spaces That You’d Love to Live In.

“Galle’s unique character shaped by centuries of history, art and human ingenuity resonates deeply with LANKATILES’ ethos of design integrity and aesthetic depth,” said Priyantha Talwatte, Managing Director of LANKATILES. “We’re delighted to bring our design leadership and trusted product portfolio closer to the Southern market, supporting both residential aspirations and the burgeoning tourism-led growth across the region.”

Built on more than five decades of trust and excellence, LANKATILES continues to set the benchmark in tile design superiority while delivering solutions that uplift spaces with beauty and performance. The new showroom features standout products including the Majestica large-format tile collections and Mosaics, ideal for modern living spaces, luxury tourism projects, boutique hotels, and heritage restorations that demand both quality and visual impact.

As Sri Lanka’s tourism sector continues to grow, strategic destinations such as Galle play a vital role in LANKATILES’ long-term expansion strategy. The company aims to strengthen its presence in the Southern market through enhanced accessibility, tailored solutions, and meaningful collaboration with industry stakeholders.

“We recognize the indispensable role of architects, designers, contractors, and tilers in shaping inspiring spaces,” added Talwatte. “We look forward to deepening partnerships across the region celebrating creativity that transforms environments and enriches everyday living.”

The new showroom is operated by Franchise Owner Yasith Ranu Karunasekara, a Southern Province-based entrepreneur with a keen appreciation for design-driven business and customer-centric service. His local expertise and commitment to quality align strongly with the LANKATILES brand promise.

“This showroom is more than a retail space, it’s a destination where imagination meets craftsmanship,” said Karunasekara. “We’re excited to support local homeowners, hospitality developers, and professionals in redefining spaces across the Southern region.”

The LANKATILES Galle showroom officially opened on January 28, 2026, welcoming customers and industry professionals to experience the brand’s curated collections, design expertise, and innovative tile solutions.

Business

Four runs, a thousand dreams: How a small-town school bowled its way into the record books

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/8

Thilina Walpola

The Under-13 Cricket Team of Kalawana National School, which set up the new school cricket record

By the time the last wicket fell at Gangakanda Vidyalaya in Pelmadulla, silence briefly hung over the ground. The scoreboard told an almost unbelievable story: the Under-13 team of Kalawana National School had dismissed their opponents, Mihindu Vidyalaya, Ratnapura, for just four runs. In six overs and five balls, a group of boys from a remote corner of Sabaragamuwa had etched their names into Sri Lanka’s schools cricket record books.

The achievement soon found its way onto the official Sri Lanka Cricket Facebook page. But behind that viral moment lies a quieter, more powerful story of children who train without a proper ground, a coach who works without pay, and parents who refuse to let poverty dictate their children’s dreams.

For the boys of Kalawana National School, cricket is not played on manicured turf. There is no proper pitch. Practice nets are borrowed and returned. The few bats and pads available are worn and broken. During the rainy season, there is often nowhere to practise at all.

Yet, every evening, they turn up.

“Our children play under conditions where even the most basic facilities are lacking,” said N. V. Pushpakumara, a parent. “There is no proper playground, no pitch. Still, they keep winning. We hope the authorities will see what these children are capable of and give them the support they deserve.”

: Cricket players of Kalawana National School undergoing training amid challenges

At the centre of this effort is their coach, Chanuka Pradeep Madhushan, who joined the school in late 2021. He trains the children voluntarily, without a salary, accepting only small contributions from parents who themselves struggle to make ends meet.

“I didn’t come here expecting facilities,” he said. “I came because I saw potential. One of our boys played for the district squad in 2025. This year, our Under-13 team is doing very well. We even have a left-arm bowler who has taken 21 wickets in four matches. When you see their commitment, you want to give your best, even without pay.”

The school’s principal, Ashoka Nandasiri, speaks of cricket at Kalawana National School as a journey marked by quiet persistence. The school began leather-ball cricket in 2011. In 2016, their Under-16 team broke into the top 16 at national level. In 2025, a student was selected to the Sabaragamuwa Under-15 provincial team. And in January this year came the moment that stunned school cricket circles across the country.

: N.V. Pushpakumara, Parent

: Chanuka Pradeep Madhushanka, Cricket Coach

: Ashoka Nandasiri, Principal of Kalawana National School

“These achievements did not come easily,” the principal said. “They came through the dedication of our coach and the sacrifices made by parents. Despite many difficulties, they have kept this programme alive.”

For the boys themselves, the record is not just about four runs. It is about being seen.

“We practise with many difficulties,” said team captain P. A. Pamod Lakshan. “We don’t have proper equipment or a proper ground. When it rains, we have nowhere to go. Once, a kind uncle from Kalawana helped build us a small indoor place to practise. We are very grateful. We want to go a long way in cricket.”

In a country where cricketing dreams often begin in elite school grounds with lush pitches and modern facilities, the story of Kalawana National School stands as a reminder of how talent can grow in the most unlikely soil. These children do not ask for luxury—only for a fair chance.

Their record-breaking performance is now part of Sri Lanka’s cricketing statistics. But the deeper question remains: will their struggle also be noticed? Parents hope that this extraordinary moment will prompt sports authorities and policymakers to look beyond the usual centres of privilege and invest in rural schools where potential waits quietly, often unseen.

For the boys from Kalawana, the scoreboard has already given its verdict. Now they wait for the country to do the same.

By Upendra Priyankara Jathungama