Kandy Medical Society

The Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy

Since its establishment in 1964, the KANDY SOCIETY OF MEDICINE (KSM) has been active in the areas of continuing medical education and health research. Its membership, consisting of clinicians and scientists working in the medical and dental professions, now stands at over 200. KSM’s weekly clinical and scientific meetings attract a wide range of health professionals including students from the Peradeniya Medical School.

The Society’s objectives are fourfold. The first is providing opportunities for health professionals to participate in updating their knowledge and skills through Continuing Medical Education and thus enabling them to improve the quality of health care delivered to the people of Sri Lanka. The second is Promotion of Research in the health sciences. The third is Building a Community of health professionals through social and other activities. The fourth is educating the public on health issues.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION

Lectures, seminars, workshops are held regularly every week throughout the year, either in the Postgraduate Medical Centre of the Kandy Hospital or in the Faculty of Medicine at Peradeniya. A wide range of topics is covered in the clinical and basic sciences. The resource persons who conduct these activities come from all over the island and some from abroad.

The Sri Lanka Medical Journal (SLMJ), which was previously called the Kandy Medical Journal, is published by the KSM and acts as a source of updates on important medical topics.

The KSM has an Annual Conference in the month of February, which is attended by more than 200 doctors, scientists and students, both from Sri Lanka and abroad. The academic activities consist of reports of the latest research carried out in Sri Lanka and lectures and orations that review and update important medical topics. The social activities of the conference include portrayals of local culture through dance and music and an annual dinner.

RESEARCH PROMOTION

The KSM provides a forum for publicizing the results of research in the health sciences. This is done mainly at the Annual Academic Sessions. However, opportunities are also provided for researchers to present their findings at the weekly meetings.

The SLMJ, by publishing research reports, is a vehicle for promoting research in the health sciences as applicable to Sri Lanka.

The KSM Prize for Health Research is awarded annually to scientists who have consistently carried out research and thus generated new knowledge and understanding of health related issues in Sri Lanka. The Prize, which is a considerable some of money arising from a trust designated for this purpose, has acquired a prestige among health professionals and the public.

The KSM awards small research grants to young scientists in designated areas such Obstetrics and Gynecology.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

In addition to its regular weekly meetings the KSM arranges a wide range of social activities where clinicians and scientists meet informally. These include dinner meetings, joint meetings with other societies, health camps and trips to places of interest in Sri Lanka. Members have an opportunity of meeting health professionals from abroad, who have similar interests. Many of these informal meetings of professionals have resulted in collaborative activities in training and in research.

EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON HEALTH ISSUES

Although this objective has not been pursued in an effective manner, members, under the auspices of the KSM, have published reviews of common diseases in the country’s newspapers using non-technical language. It is proposed to strengthen these activities in the future.

KSM COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR 2001