134th Anniversary International Medical Congress 2021

"Professional excellence towards holistic health care"

Programme

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Day 1 – Tuesday, 21st September 2021

6.30 pm

Innauguration Ceremony

Chief Guest: Professor Shanthi Mendis

Guest of Honour: Dr Palitha Mahipala

Session 1

SLMA Oration

“Before Breath Becomes Air … A Personal Odyssey of ECMO in Sri Lanka”

Dr Tolusha Harischandra

Day 2 – Wednesday, 22nd September 2021

7.30 – 8.30 am

Registration

Hall A

Parallel Session

CLINICAL

Session 2:

8.30 – 10.00 am

Symposium 1

Communicable diseases

  1. The changing landscape of CNS infections – Prof. Udaya Ranawaka
  2. Leptospirosis – Dr. Wimalasiri Uluwattage
  3. Rickettsial infections in Sri Lanka; an overview – Dr. Kheminda Thilakarathne

Session 3:

10.00 – 10.45 am

Keynote

Investing in Human Capital; In the pandemic and post pandemic scenarios

Dr. Trina Hague

10.45 – 11.15 am

TEA

Session 4:

11.15 am – 12.45pm

Symposium 3

Practical approach in Geriatric care

  1. Nutrition and sarcopenia – Prof. Matteo Cesari
  2. Practical approach to management of Diabetes in elderly – Dr Uditha Bulugahapitiya
  3. Detection of frailty in primary care – Dr. Duncan Ronald Forsyth

Session 5:

12.45 – 1.45 pm

Free Paper Session 1

1.45 – 2.45 pm

Lunch

Session 6:

2.45 – 3.15 pm

Plenary 1: Diabetes

Novel concepts in the management of diabetes

Dr. Noel Somasundaram

Session 7:

3.15 – 3.45 pm

Plenary 2: Obstetrics

Respectful maternity care during childbirth

Dr. Probhodana Ranaweera

Session 8:

3.45 – 4.30 pm

Dr. S. C. Paul Oration

Acute Coronary Care in Sri Lanka: Revelations from the First Ever National Clinical Audit

Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy

4.30 – 5.00 pm

TEA

Hall B

Parallel Session

PUBLIC HEALTH

Session 2:

8.30 – 10.00 am

Symposium 2

“No one is safe until every one is safe”

Health sector preparedness and response to disasters

  1. Enhancing disaster and emergency preparedness and response within Sri Lankan Health system: A success story – Dr. Hemantha Herath
  2. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Health Sector in Sri Lanka – Dr. Priyanga Ranasinghe
  3. Hospital Preparedness in Emergencies: HOPE and Beyond – Joint session Dr. Novil Wijesekera & Frederick John Abo

10.45 – 11.15 am

TEA

Session 4:

11.15 am – 12.45pm

Symposium 4

Microplastics: Are we under threat

  1. The problem of microplastics: are we under threat? – Dr. Sajith Edirisinghe
  2. Current status of microplastic pollution in Sri Lanka: findings of concern on human health – Mr W R W M A P Weerakoon
  3. Legal provisions on micro plastics and single- use plastic waste control in Sri Lanka – Mr. N. S. Gamage

Session 5:

12.45 – 1.45 pm

Free Paper Session 2

Hall C

Session 5:

1.30 – 2.30 pm

Free Paper Session 3

Day 3 – Thursday, 23rd September 2021

8.00 – 8.30 am

Registration

Session 9:

8.30 – 9.00 am

Plenary 3: Digital health care

Digital health care in Sri Lanka

Mr Abdul Ahamed

Hall A

Parallel Session

Session 10:

9.00 – 10.30 am

Symposium 5

Future of medicine and medical technology

  1. Wearables in healthcare- Prof. Gamini Rajapakse
  2. Robotic arm and minimal invasive surgery – Dr Alastair Lamb
  3. Whole exome sequencing for the diagnosis of rare diseases – Dr Helen Stewart

10.30 – 11.00 am

TEA

Session 11:

11.00 am – 12.30 pm

Symposium 8

3D’s of Geriatric Psychiatry

  1. Depression in older adults – Dr. Kapila Ranasinghe
  2. Dementia – Dr. Anuprabha Wickramasinghe
  3. Delirium simple but complex – Dr. Rashi Nigi

12.30 – 1.30 pm

Lunch

Session 12:

1.30 – 2.30 pm

Free Paper Session 1

Session 13:

2.30 – 4.00 pm

Symposium 11

Birth Defects: An emerging challenge

  1. Overview of birth defects – Dr. Nathalie Roos
  2. Genetic Testing in the Care and Prevention of Birth Defects – Prof Vajira Dissanayke 
  3. Counting Birth defects for practice change – Dr. Kapila Jayaratne 

4.00 pm

TEA

Hall B

Parallel Session

Session 10:

9.00 – 10.30 am

Symposium 6

Learning from paediatric deaths

  1. Clinician’s perspective on paediatric deaths & review – Prof Shaman Rajindrajith
  2. Paediatric Death Reviews – Dr. Rajesh Mehta
  3. Infant Death surveillance – The Sri Lanka’s model – Dr. Kapila Jayaratne 

10.30 – 11.00 am

TEA

Session 11:

11.00 am – 12.30 pm

Symposium 9

Health effects of indigenous and traditional foods

  1. Health effects of coconut oil – Prof. Ranil Jayawardene
  2. Sri Lankan cereal food habit: a double edged sword in health – Prof. Anoma Chandrasekara
  3. Traditional fermented foods and their health benefits – Prof. Terrence Madhujith

12.30 – 1.30 pm

Lunch

Session 12:

1.30 – 2.30 pm

Free Paper Session 2

Session 13:

2.30 – 4.00 pm

Symposium 12

Current concepts in spinal cord rehabilitation

  1. Basic concepts of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation – Dr. Champika Gunawardena
  2. Medical issues and modern concepts in spinal cord injury rehabilitation – Dr. Gerard Weber
  3. Physiotherapy interventions in SCI rehabilitation – Mrs. Samanthi Jayathilake
  4. Occupational therapy interventions in SCI rehabilitation – Dr. Ajith Kithsiri

4.00 pm

TEA

Hall C

Parallel Session

Session 10:

9.00 – 10.30 am

Symposium 7

Nurses/ Allied health programme

Communication in action (Role play)

Professor R Mudiyanse / Dr S Krishnapradeep / Dr Amali Dalpatadu / Dr Kanthi Hettigoda / Dr Aanjeli Wimalasiri / Dr Sajith Edirisinghe / Dr Ruvaiz Hanifa / Dr Kapila Sooriyarachchi / Dr Athulya Amarathunga / Dr Nihal Weerasuriya / Ms Achini Purnima / Ms Ramya Ekanayake / Ms Anuradha Rathanayaka

10.30 – 11.00 am

TEA

Session 11:

11.00 am – 12.30 pm

Symposium 10

Nurses/ Allied health programme

Teamwork

  1. Working as a team – Dr. Upul Dissanayake
  2. Ensuring workplace safety – Mrs R A D C Karunaratne
  3. Balancing the Act – Dr. Chathurie Suraweera

12.30 – 1.30 pm

Lunch

Session 12:

1.30 – 2.30 pm

Free Paper Session 3

Day 4 – Friday, 24th September 2021

8.00 – 8.30 am

Registration

Hall A

Parallel Session

Session 14:

8.30 – 10.00 am

Symposium 13

Management of surgical emergencies

  1. Vascular emergencies – Dr. Rezni Cassim
  2. Abdominal pain is children: surgical? – Dr. Malik Samarasinghe
  3. Current concepts in management of Urological emergencies – Prof. Neville Perera

Session 15:

10.00 – 10.45 am

Professor N. D. W. Lionel Memorial Oration

Revitalizing the Drug Pipeline: Silent Microbial Secondary Metabolites as an Untapped Molecular Resource in Discovering New Therapeutics

Dr Pabasara Kalansuriya

10.45 – 11.15 am

TEA

Session 16:

11.15 am – 12.45 pm

Symposium 15

Essentials in childhood: Food, play and safety

  1. Guiding Children to Eat right: Why and How  – Prof V P Wickramasinghe
  2. Active Child – Dr Pavithra Godamunne
  3. Are the children safe? – Dr Nayana Liyanarachchi

12.45 – 1.45 pm

Closing Ceremony

1.45 – 2.45 pm

Lunch

Hall B

Parallel Session

Session 14:

8.30 – 10.00 am

Symposium 14

The impact of sexual Gender-based Violence (SGBV) on maternal and child health

Panel Discussion

    • Ms Upala Devi
    • Dr Harsha Atapattu
    • Ms Niluka Gunawardena

10.45 – 11.15 am

TEA

Session 16:

11.15 am – 12.45 pm

Symposium 16

Adolescent health

  1. Chronic disease management in adolescent health – Prof. Susan Sawyer
  2. Positive mental health in pandemics for adolescents-Dr Usman Hamdani
  3. Bridging gaps: Transition from paediatric to adult health -Dr Surantha Perera