Dr.Ponnambalam Surgeon

Dr.Ponnambalam, Surgeon, Jaffna, was one of my good friends. I made his acquaintance when I was doing my internship at the then GH Colombo. He was SHO to the Orthopedic Surgeon Dr.Rasanayagam. I was allocated rooms at the ‘Violet Cottage’ in Regent Street, the MO quarters. My room-mate was Dr.AS Thavarasa. ‘Ponna’ had already completed more than 8 years in the Health Department. He had been in charge of hospitals and also was trained as a Medical Officer of Health. He was full of medical lore and had a very humorous approach to any problem. After a days work we used to lay on the easy chairs, arranged in the veranda of the quarters and listen to stories related to, life in the Health Department.

He subsequently passed his Primary FRCS, trained in Surgery, went to the UK, got his FRCS and came back to Ceylon. He was posted as Surgeon, Kurunegala and subsequently Surgeon, Jaffna. He got married pretty late in life. He started learning the Indian flute.

When I was working as Surgeon at the NHSL Colombo, he had been admitted to the Merchants ward, with a history of Dysphagia. They found a tumor in the lower esophagus, which was subsequently resected. The histology report came as ‘argentaffinoma’. I used to visit him in the ward during the post-operative period. He told me the following story, during one of these visits.

It was the time that the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), captured Jaffna town from the ‘Tigers’. The staff in the Jaffna Hospital knew the approach of the Indian soldiers. They heard all the firing and shelling. Quite a few of them ran off to their homes. The Matron, some sisters, nursing staff and a few doctors including Dr.Ponnambalam, thought that they would stay inside the hospital, so that they could render any service to the injured. They stayed in a room in the hospital. In due course the Indian Army arrived. They marched into the hospital. They came into the room where the medical staff was staying. They asked them to put up their hands. One of them went up a flight of stairs near the room. When he came down, he came firing with his automatic at the people in the room. All fell down. ‘Ponna’ was not injured but fell down with the others. The man who fired called out ‘Dr.Ponnambalam, stand up.’ ‘Ponna’ preferred to ‘play dead’. The soldier who fired came and kicked their bodies with his boots to make sure that they were dead. Satisfied that they all were dead, he went his way. ‘Ponna’ pretended to be dead for a long time, lying in the blood on the floor. Later when he was sure that there was no one, he got up and disappeared from the scene.

‘Ponna’ subsequently served with dedication in Jaffna Hospital; in it’s time of trouble. He gave yeoman service to the hospital, till he got progressive dysphagia and was transferred to the NHSL Colombo. They resected the tumor in the esophagus but apparently there were secondaries. ‘Ponna’ died a few months after the surgery. at the NHSL for dysphagia, presumably from the secondaries from the ‘argentaffinoma’. That was the end of another gentle surgeon.

            Subsequent to this incident, I never believed, that civilian casualties were totally unintentional, in any armed conflict, anywhere in the world. That fantasy disappeared from my world.

Thanks Phillip

I came to know Ponna when he was at Kurunegala. What a gentleman he was. Sad to hear of his departure. Kind Regards

Lawrence

God Bless Ponna, a true and honourable Son of Sri Lanka, but as you say he did not know what you know!  

Derrwik