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Mar 30, 2019, 11:45 PM (5 hours ago)
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Hi Philip
It brought me great sadness to hear of the passing of Viji Ponnambalam. At Medical School everyone knew her as the daughter of the famous GG Ponnambalam. She was tall, charming and cheerful and spoke with the confidence that came from her elite upbringing. I never got to know her well in the Faculty.
In 1974 my first job in the UK was in Pathology at the Chase Farm hospital in Enfield where Viji was a Registrar in Paediatrics. I literally bumped into her in a narrow corridor of that old Victorian building where she spoke to me with a radiant smile and her characteristic exuberance. Viji was held in high regard by her superiors and she worked exceptionally hard, day and night. There were many occasions when I saw her well passed midnight attending to her on-call duties, as I ambled along to the pathology department.
In that year there were 25 Sri Lankan doctors working in that hospital. Makuloluwa brothers and W.A.T.E (Titus) Perera too were part of that team. Sri Lankans love a party. Viji was there at the social functions in the ‘doctors mess’ contributing to the fun and laughter that was ever present at the institution. The doctors’ TV room was where we all congregated for a chat and a laugh. On those occasions Viji was unpretentious, kind and most helpful to everyone. She had no time for gossip and tittle tattle and was greatly respected by the Sri Lankan medical community.
After completing a year I moved on to another hospital and lost contact with Viji. I never had any news of her until I heard the sad news of her demise. Viji loved Paediatrics. I was surprised she had given up Paediatrics to specialise in Radiology. All of life is one huge compromise!! It is wonderful to hear Viji has had a successful professional career, a happy family life and an active social life in the USA.
May she find Eternal Peace.
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