SLCOMM Annual Second Session Ends with Glamour

The 2nd Annual academic session of Sri Lanka College of Military Medicine (SLCOMM) was successfully concluded on Sunday (25) at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.

This year the theme was ‘Military Medicine, a disciplined approach to contemporary medicine’. Inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency the President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. As His Excellency was overseas he was represented by the Secretary to His Excellency, Mr. Austin Fernando.

The ceremony was held at the Grand Ballroom of Cinnamon Grand with participation of Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy, Chairman, International Committee of Military Medicine, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services of India, Pakistan, representative from armed forces medical services of Nepal, Oman and United Kingdom.

Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Vidyajothi Professor H Janaka De Silva MBBS MD FRCP DPhil(Oxon) FNASSL was the guest of honor at the ceremony.

President of the Sri Lanka College of Military Medicine Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe delivered the presidential address on ‘Evolution of Military Medicine in Sri Lanka’ highlighting the development of military medicine from king era to date.

Large gathering at the inauguration ceremony was entertained by Cultural troupe of Army, Navy and Air Force and the orchestra of the Navy.

Two days of Scientific Sessions were held at the same venue, during 24-25 March, with the participation of foreign delegates from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Oman and the United Kingdom.

Key note address was delivered by Chairman of the International Committee of Military Medicine, Lieutenant General Bipin Puri on ‘Combat Medical support; Changing paradigm and evolving strategy’.

Sri Lanka College of Surgeons and Sri Lanka College of Community Physicians joined hands with Sri Lanka College of Military Medicine to conduct symposia on Diabetes, breast carcinoma, war casualty management by civil surgeons, Malaria, Typhus and Dengue fever.

Aviation medicine and underwater environment symposia conducted by medical wings of Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy were commendable.

Facial Aesthetics, Robotic Surgery, CBRN warfare, management of dead in disaster and Medical Ethics were highlights of plenary sessions. A special segment was dedicated to women and Military Medicine where Medical challenges of female combatant were discussed.

Fifteen military medical specialists from overseas and Sri Lanka, twelve non military medical specialists of Sri Lanka and two non-medical specialists stood at the podium to share their expert knowledge with the audience, which comprised of medical consultants, medical and dental officers and medical students of Army, Navy and Air Force.