|  Dec 31, 2019, 7:57 PM (8 hours ago) | | ||
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This is the report of Dr Sydney Dr, Pearl Hettiaratchy - my Med batch mates, after her visit to SL & Jaffna.
Her son Shehan ( Plastic Surgeon IUK) & his Team, is helping towards in organizing/funding, the New Burn Unit in Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Much appreciated. We have to get the Hospital Admin to pushing it fwd , to make it happen & the facility to open in the new 2nd floor building.
Jey/Gunsie
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Pearl Hettiaratchy <pearl.hettiaratchy11@gmail.com>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Date: December 31, 2019 at 3:11 AM
Subject: OUR VISIT TO JAFFNA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Dear All,
We wish each fo you a very happy & blessed 2020. We have delayed sending this Summary as it has been a very busy period over Christmas, but felt it was important to end the year with this being shared with you.Our visit to Jaffna has been an amazing & overwhelming experience. We hope & pray that we can continue to accomplish what we have set out to do. The work involved is significant & since our return I have spent hours liaising with staff in Jaffna, the College Of Psychiatrists in Colombo, Sri Lanka Psychiatric Association UK, Royal College Of Psychiatrists UK & other bodies.All funds for our work will go direct to The College Of Psychiatrist who will forward it to Jaffna. This was important as we wanted to be sure that there would be a proper & rigorous accounting system for funds raised. The help & cooperation we have received has been out standing specially form Prof. Shehan Williams President & Aruni Hapangama Treasurer College Of Psychiatrists Sri Lanka.Sidney & I have decided to fund 2 of the projects ourselves to do with Child Psychiatric Services & Learning Disability Services as we felt a delay would be detrimental. In addition we felt we wanted to give back to our Motherland for all that it had given to us in free education at all levels!Also we are also blessed with 3 outstanding Children, 11 amazing grand children & a gorgeous great grand son.For us 2020 feels as though it is a new beginning with the focus on Jaffna & the aim of achieving what is needed by it's people for their improved mental health & wellbeing.We pray that it would be achievable as we are positive & optimistic about this work. It is work we are undertaking at the great ages of nearly 80 & &78 years! It is very different to when Sidney set up services in 1975 in Basingstoke & I in 1975 in Portsmouth & Winchester in 1984! Thank you for the interest you have shown in our work.Love & Best wishesSidney & Pearl
Dr Pearl Hettiaratchy OBE DL FRCPsych
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1:04 AM (4 hours ago)
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Dear Philip,
I note Gunsie has posted our e-mail on the blog. Please could you correct it to read the report is from Sidney & Pearl Hettiaratchy & NOT just Pearl.
We both went to Jaffna & the project is a joint one covering Child, Adolescence, Adult & Old Age Psychiatry. This is possible as Sidney is a Specialist in Child & Adolescence & I in adult & Old Age! Also our surname has been spelt incorrectly. I tried to correct it myself but was unable to do it. Hope all is well.
Kind Regards
Pearl
Dr Pearl Hettiaratchy OBE DL FRCPsych
JEY GUNASEGARAM
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2:32 AM (3 hours ago)
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2:58 AM (2 hours ago)
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By the way I sent it to to all our friends- I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the Our 1961 Med Blog.- I truly sent it-
To recognize & Appreciate your(Both) work in Jaffna. May be others will follow, where we need to do much more. Like Viji.P. had been doing in her lifetime. Eg: At St. Johns College Cricket Pitch & Grounds was as it was in 1950 when I was there. (as it is now in 2020)- for an Example. SJC uses Central College Grounds for their Great Encounters ! Not to speak of their Class rooms. The College was heavily Damaged during the War with the Tigers. Jeya & Ganesh will tell all about it - they did not leave, did whatever they could do & took the brunt it all. Rightly, they are a Venerated Couple & Family in Jaffna. They Call Jeya "Amma" all over Yalpanam.
Love to you all,
Thanks,
Jeyandran
| Pearl Hettiaratchy | Sun, Jan 5, 1:04 AM (1 day ago) | ||
| JEY GUNASEGARAM | Sun, Jan 5, 2:58 AM (1 day ago) | ||
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12:02 AM (5 hours ago)
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Dera Pearl & Hetti,
You have an Impressive connection to the N of SL. In fact I & my Sister was born at the Historic Green Memorial Hospital in Manipay. My Cousin Dr Joy Gunasegaram( nee Kanagarajah) worked for some time at that Hospital. Of course our Ancestral home was in Kopay.
You may know that a very good friend of mine in Jaffna- his Cousin( an honoured Photographer(37yrs) was one evening helping his 7yr old with her HW. His wife told him to check out a smell coming from the Kitchen. when he did that, there was big explosion, & he was severely burnt. He was taken to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital - there was no Burn unit .
-When I went to help after the Tsunami x 2, the Hospitals had 1 or 2 Rickety old Ambulances, they transfer Patients when they can fill the Ambulances & get a Driver. They generally couldn't send trained personal to go with them. It took about 7 hrs to Kandy or Colombo to the nearest BU. So he was kept in Jaffna. He died in about
2-3 days. My friend was very upset. Immediately, I called Dr Sena of IMHO & asked How many more Patients had to die before we got Burn unit. IMHO immediately met & also Contacted the JTH Hospital Administer who assured them that they will find a Place for the BU. I Directed Dr Sena to Contact Dr.Thayalan - Yes he has achieved many great projects in the Medical Field for the Hospital. He told me 3 out of 5 Burn patients admitted were married women mainly trying to commit Suicides due to Domestic violence by Husbands & Inlaws.
Your son Shehan hopefully will soon help to organise & institute a Burn Unit there . I am told there a very Slow Govt: process to construct the Space for it. Hope the IMHO will push it Fwd.
I wish we had more People like, Dr Thayalan join us in Projects to do there ! He has passion & determination to create & get great & good things in the Med & Education Fields.
Love to you both,
Jeyandran.( Jey)
On January 4, 2020 at 3:00 PM Pearl Hettiaratchy <pearl.hettiaratchy11@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks Jeyandran.
Yes we spent much time with Jeya & Ganesh.Also my grand father Dr. Clarence Sittampalam lived & worked in Jaffna. He was JMO & trained at Green College Manipay. My mother came to Colombo only after her marriage.So much history to what we are trying to do. Thayalan is such an amazing person. We had all for dinner.Keep in touchKind RegardsPearl
Sent from my iPhoneBy the way I sent it to to all our friends- I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the Our 1961 Med Blog.- I truly did send it-To recognize & Appreciate your(Both) work in Jaffna. May be others will follow, where we need to do much more. Like Viji.P. had been doing in her lifetime. Eg: At St. Johns College Cricket Pitch & Grounds was as it was in 1950 when I was there. (as it is now in 2020)- for an Example. SJC uses Central College Grounds for their Great Encounters ! Not to speak of their Class rooms. The College was heavily Damaged during the War with the Tigers. Jeya & Ganesh will tell all about it - they did not leave, did whatever they could do & took the brunt it all. Rightly, they are a Venerated Couple & Family in Jaffna. They Call Jeya "Amma" all over Yalpanam.Love to you all,Thanks,JeyandranOn January 4, 2020 at 2:02 PM JEY GUNASEGARAM < gunsie@comcast.net> wrote:
Sorry Pearl & Hetti,They were genuine mistakes - May be - as you are the one signs off on the Emails I believe.Fond regards,JeyandranOn January 4, 2020 at 12:34 PM Pearl Hettiaratchy < pearl.hettiaratchy11@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Philip,
I note Gunsie has posted our e-mail on the blog. Please could you correct it to read the report is from Sidney & Pearl Hettiaratchy & NOT just Pearl.We both went to Jaffna & the project is a joint one covering Child, Adolescence, Adult & Old Age Psychiatry. This is possible as Sidney is a Specialist in Child & Adolescence & I in adult & Old Age! Also our surname has been spelt incorrectly. I tried to correct it myself but was unable to do it. Hope all is well.Kind RegardsPearl
Dr Pearl Hettiaratchy OBE DL FRCPsych
Pearl and Sydney,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful world!
(I mean your world, congratulations! ) christopher canagaretna was so proud of the mother and son.He circulated a copy of the paper on subarachnoid haemorrhage