The second Professor Carlo Fonseka Oration in Medical Humanities was held on 9th August 2022 at the New Building Lecture Theatre. Professor Anoja Fernando, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology, University of Ruhuna and member, UNESCO International Bioethics Committee delivered the oration on the topic “Creative Malady”. The event was organized by the Department of Medical Humanities on behalf of the Faculty and coincided with the 6th Anniversary of the Department of Medical Humanities.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Senior Professor H.D. Karunaratne was the Chief Guest at the event. The citation of the orator was read by the Head of the Department, Senior Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy, followed by Senior Professor Vajira Dissanayake, the Dean, awarding the oration medal to Professor Anoja Fernando, prior to the commencement of the oration. The event concluded with vote thanks proposed by Dr Santushi Amarasuriya and refreshments at the Senior Common Room. Founder Head of the Department, Emeritus Professor Saroj Jayasinghe, cut a cake to celebrate the Anniversary of the Department. Dr Santhushya Fernando compered the function. The event was a hybrid online-onsite event, with a limited number of onsite invitees, including the family of Professor Carlo Fonseka, Chair Professors and Heads of Department of the Faculty.

The founder head of the Department of Medical Humanities, Professor Saroj Jayasinghe bid farewell to the Faculty of Medicine in January this year after 40 long years of teaching and an exceptional academic career. The Department of Medical Humanities staff under the guidance of the current Head of the Department, Professor Priyadarshani Galappattthy organized an event to felicitate Professor Jayasinghe for the service he rendered establishimng the Department and promoting Medical Humanities.

This was held immediately after the Professor Carlo Fonseka Oration on the 4th of March 2021 in the Faculty board room as a hybrid event. Dr Santushi Amarasuriya spoke of the immense contribution made by Professor Jayasinghe to the Department and Professor Panduka Karunanayaka spoke of contribution to the Behavioural Sciences Stream (BSS) which is evolving into the Humanities Society and Professionalism stream (HSPS). Dr Karma Tenzin, Deputy Dean, Academic Affairs, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan spoke from Bhutan on Contributions of Professor Saroj Jayasinghe in the introduction of Medical Humanities/ Behavioural Sciences at the postgraduate level in Bhutan. A video prepared by medical students on the life of medical students was shown and president of the medical Faculty students union Mr Punu Jayakody also spoke at this event.

The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Vajira Dissanayake, Professor Colvin Goonerathne, Professor Panduka Karunanayake, Professor Prasad Katulanda, Dr. Damani Jayasinghe and many other members of academic and non-academic staff attended this event.

A newsletter with tributes to Professor Jayasinghe was launched at the event. Following the event, a photograph of Professor Saroj Jayasinghe was unveiled at the Department of Medical Humanities.

The Inaugural Professor Carlo Fonseka Oration in Medical Humanities was held on 4^th March 2021, in the Board Room of the Faculty of Medicine, which marked the 88^th birthday of Professor Carlo Fonseka, born on 4^th of March in 1933.  The Professor Carlo Fonseka oration in medical Humanities is another unique addition to the activities organized by the Department of Medical Humanities and is the first named oration in the Medical Faculty, organized by a department.

Professor Carlo Fonseka was a pioneer in many fields of inquiry. A special area of his interest was the promotion of the arts and its links with health. His work in this interface of medical humanities includes authoring numerous songs, poems and essays. He was active in promoting the field and contributed in many ways to promote its development in his alma mater, the Faculty of Medicine Colombo.

The Department established this oration to honour this great artist, teacher and visionary by an annual oration related to Medical Humanities. The field of Medical Humanities encompasses a wide range of disciplines, such as ethics, psychology, the social sciences as well as the critical use of artistic and literary works to understand the human experience in health and illness. Professor Carlo Fonseka, who was a multi-faceted medical professional, being a musician, lyricist, orator, political activist and an effective communicator to the public was an excellent role model for the humane doctors that the Medical Faculty aspire to produce with the influence of this new Department of Medical Humanities, established in 2016.

Professor Saroj Jayasinghe, the founder head of the Department of Medical Humanities, was selected unanimously as the inaugural orator considering his contribution to the field of medical Humanities and his close association with Professor Carlo Fonseka. Professor Jayasinghe not only founded the Department of medical humanities but also pioneered serval activities of the new Department to promote the field including organizing the inaugural International Conference on Medical Humanities in July 2018, a lecture series relevant to medical humanities by eminent personalities and proposing establishment of an oration in medical humanities named after Professor Carlo Fonseka. Professor Jayasinghe retired recently from the Faculty of Medicine after 4 nearly decades of service to the Faculty and delivered the inaugural oration on the title ‘Professor Carlo Fonseka: Retracing the steps of an iconic teacher and a multifaceted intellectual’.

The oration was held as a hybrid event with a few distinguished invitees gracing the occasion which was webcasted live by the Audio-visual team of the Faculty of Medicine.  Mrs Pearl Fonseka, beloved wife late professor Carlo Fonseka, the daughter and few family members joined the event.  Professor Chandrika Wijeyaratne, the Vice Chancellor attended as the chief guest and Professor Vajira Dissanayaka, Dean, Professor Saroj Jayasighe the orator, Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy the Head of the Department of Medical Humanities, Professor Panduka Karunanayaka, Chairperson of Humanities, Society and professionalism stream, Dr Santhushi Amarasuriya, senior lecturer in the Department and a few other staff members joined the academic procession.

On 2nd September 2020, the 1^st death anniversary of Professor Carlo Fonseka, the Department of Medical Humanities commemorated him at a function held at the Physiology Lecture Theater of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. It was nostalgic to most of his students who were in attendance as the same venue where Professor Fonseka used to deliver most of his lectures while he was a lecturer in physiology in the faculty.

The event was held as a hybrid event due to social distancing guidelines with a limited audience invited onsite with a large number of participants joining online via Zoom and YouTube.

It was graced by the attendance of the family of late Professor Fonseka including his Wife Mrs. Pearl Fonseka, his daughter and the son-in-law. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Chandrika Wijeyaratne attended the event as the chief guest and Professor Vajira Dissanayaka, Dean of the faculty also graced the occasion.

Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy, Head of Department of Medical Humanities gave a welcome address and the event followed with several speeches covering various aspects of Professor Fonseka’s life.  These included the Philosophy of Professor Carlo Fonseka, his involvement in politics, the musical and lyrical creations he had done, and his support in creating the Department of Medical Humanities in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, which were done by Dr. Panduka Karunanayaka, Professor Narada Warnasuriya, Dr. Hemantha Perera, and Professor Saroj Jayasinghe.

Dr. Chandana Athapattu spoke about Professor Fonseka’s last days and then his long-term colleague, Prof. Colvin Goonaratna spoke about Prof. Fonseka as a friend.

Before conclusion of the session, there was a discussion and a reflections session moderated by Professor Saroj Jayasinghe, for which most of the attendees contributed and Dr Santushi Amarasuriya, Senior Lecturer in the Department gave the vote of thanks.

During this event, a photograph of Professor Carlo Fonseka was officially unveiled at the physiology lecture theatre among the other renowned physiologists who have worked in the Department.