Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLMC) (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා යුද හමුදා වෛද්‍ය බලකාය Shri Lanka Yuddha Hamuda Vadya Balakaya) is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 4 regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters. The corps Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius.

History

The beginnings of the Corp goes back 29 July 1881 when stretcher beater company was initially raised as a part of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers, this soon became the Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps later becoming part of the Ceylon Defence Force, being deployed during world wars.

Soon after the disbandment of the Ceylon Defence Force after independence, Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps became a part of the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force with Lt. Col Sydney Jayawardene was the first Commanding Officer. But in October 1950 Ceylon Army Medical Corps in the Regular Force of the Ceylon Army was created. At its start it had 3 Officers and 20 Other Ranks were drawn from the wartime CVMC. Lt. Col H.C Serasinghe, OBE was the first Commanding Officer of the Regular Medical Corps. That year a 10 bedded camp reception station was opened at the former British Military Hospital of the Royal Army Medical Corps, shortly it was upgraded to a 30 – bedded service hospital. The corps was renamed once again in 1972 as the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps when Sri Lanka became a republic.

The corps has served under different circumstances in its post-independence history. It had assisted civil medical services during natural disasters and takes over operations of national & provincial hospitals when its doctors and staff goes on stick. The corps has treated battle casualties and has itself received casualties when its personnel came under attack during combat operations in the 1971 Insurrection and Sri Lankan Civil War.

Hospitals

Since all three armed forces and the police maintain their medical services with their own hospitals, the corp is only responsible for maintaining and operating army medical facilities mainly focused on treatment of battle casualties. Apart from medical reception stations in almost all military stations these include;

Military Hospitals

• Colombo Military Hospital, Colombo
• Victory Military Hospital, Anuradhapura

Base Hospitals in

• Panagoda Cantonment
• Diyatalawa Garrison
• Palaly Military Base
• Ampara Military Base

Units

Vocational Training Centres

Under Sri Lanka Medical Corps Sri Lanka Army Military School Of Nursing functions for training of Nurses.

Trades/Careers

Officer Careers:

• Physician (Medical Officer)
• Dentist (Dental Officer)
• Physiotherapist (Medical Support Officer)

Soldier Trades:

• Nurse
• Clinical Physiologist
• Medical laboratory technologist (MLT)
• Pharmacist
• Radiographer
• Physiotherapist
• Dental Nurse
• Dental Hygienist
• Combat Medical Technician
• Operating Department Practitioner
• Pharmacy Assistant
• Public Health Inspector

Notable members

• Major General Dr Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, MBBS - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the SLAMC^[1]
• Brigadier Dr H. I. K. Fernando - ADC, MBBS, DA (London), Officer of the Order of St. John -Former Director Army Medical Services and All Ceylon cricket player
• Colonel Dr Anthony "Tony" Gabriel, MBBS, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Edin), Hon. FDS(SL), Hon. FDSRCS (Eng) - former Commanding officer, 2nd(V) Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps, President of the College of Surgeons Sri Lanka and Hon. Fellow British Association of Oral and Maxillofascial Surgeons.^[2]
• Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Rex De Costa, MBE - former Commanding officer, Ruhunu Regiment and Vice President, World Veterans Federation

Order of precedence

See also

• Sri Lanka Army

References

External links and sources

• Sri Lanka Army
• Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
• Healing the patriotic wounds, Sunday Times
• http://slarmymedicalcorps.com/