Memorial Orations
Dr. Ponniah Sivasubramaniam DO,MS,FRCS,FRCOphth,FCS(SL,HON) was the greatest ophthalmologist of that era.
He was born on the 31st of August in 1916 in Kandegamuwa. He had his early education in Jaffna and later at St.Josephs College Colombo.
He proved to be an exceptional student with a brilliant academic record.
His biography indicates that he carried a good record during his undergraduate period that he carried away all the prizes at the London Matriculation at St. Patrick College in Jaffna and won the exhibition prize for Botany and Zoology.
He then entered the Ceylon Medical College and graduated with first class honours. He obtained FRCS (Eng.) in 1950 and was the first Sri Lankan to do so.
After a short spell at the Jaffna Hospital, he was appointed to the Victoria Memorial Eye Hospital in 1955.
He held many positions in various professional organizations and was the founder member of the Ophthalmological society in Ceylon in 1957.He was also the president of the Sri Lanka association of advancement of science in 1957, president of the ophthalmological society Ceylon in 1962, president of SLMA in 1976, president of 5th congress of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and founder president of college of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka in 1992.
He was awarded Jose Rizal award 1974 for an outstanding contribution to Ophthalmology in the Asia Pacific region. He completed his 50years of service on 30th November 1993. He was a member of board of study, examiner for DO, MS examinations. He had numerous publications in national and international journals mainly American Journal of Ophthalmology, Archives of Ophthalmology, British journal of Ophthalmology Oriental Archives of Ophthalmology, Transactions of Asia Pacific Ophthalmology, Ceylon medical journal and Transactions of Ophthalmological society. His book “text book in Ophthalmology” written in 1960 was the book for medical students.
He also took leadership in preparing national plan for the prevention of blindness in 1990 and to establish eye care in Sri Lanka and carried out a landmark survey of Blindness.
Dr. Sivasubramaniam was instrumental in designing the logo of our College and decided what components to be included. An eye overlooking an open book which is illuminated by an oriental lamp; an eagle depicting power, strength and keen vision is perched at the top, while it is flanked on either side by the snake and staff, symbolizing medicine. Irradiate or illuminate the mist or darkness is the meaning of the motto,“Irradiatur Caligo”, which was also suggested by him.
Dr. Sivasubramaniam was an innovative surgeon and a pioneer of keratoplasty in Sri Lanka. He used two Graefe knives bound together as a trephine, and used overlay sutures made of egg membrane, as suture material was not available at that time. His publications in the British Journal of Ophthalmology “Lamellar keratoplasty following cataract extraction in a malignant papilloma of the limbus” in 1954 and the “unusual case of interstitial keratitis” in 1956 indicate his interest in cornea and keratoplasty.
Although it is more than half a century later, his dedicated work on corneal surgery still inspires generations of Ophthalmologists,
In considering the clinical work half a century ago in addition to cataract surgery he performed DCR, Glaucoma Surgery, Squint surgery, amniotic membrane grafts fornix reconstruction, cornea transplant surgery and retinal detachment surgery.
His variety of interest with in the chosen field affected almost every facet of Ophthalmology as he contributed greatly to important clinical and lab advances in disease areas. He had incredible wisdom and ability to stimulate his colleagues and students to do the right thing and to follow the accepted norms.
Dr. P. Sivasubramaniam passed away in 2002, at the age of 86.