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by A. C. de Silva

Call him four-in-one Eminent surgeon, Philanthropist, Top-Class Sportsman and a Dear Friend - that's doctor Sarath De Alwis Seneviratne - the Thomian sportsman, who is a much sought after person when he makes lightning visits to Sri Lanka, his country of birth when time permits him to do so.

Sarath Seneviratne was a cricketer par excellence at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia with hockey being the second sports that he fancied during his schooldays.

Though he was a star-class sportsman, his academic qualifications and his achievements as an eminent surgeon surpasses his achievements as a cricketer who for some reason or other didn't get the nod of the cricket selectors in his hey day as a batsman, both at school level and more importantly at national level for some mysterious unknown reason.

Doctors are an indispensable breed the world over and Sri Lanka can really be proud that in Doctor Sarath de Alwis Seneviratne, the country has an eminent surgeon who is capable and who has shown that he can match anyone on other parts of the world.

His qualifications: M. B. B. S. (Sri Lanka), Master of Surgery (Sri Lanka), FRCS, FRCOG, MRCP, MFFFP (U. K.), LRCP (Lond), LRCS (Eng), LRCP (Edin), LRCS (Edin), LRCP and S (Glasgow), Diploma Sports Medicine (Ger), Dip. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine (Peking, China), Member Acupuncture Foundation, Sri Lanka.

There are doctors and doctors here in Sri Lanka, but there are an equal number of doctors who seemed to be all in a mighty hurry to see their patients and get on to the next one, the reason being quite obvious.

However, there is a handful of eminent doctors, with Dr. Sarath Seneviratne being one of them who lovingly devote their time and endeavour to heal the sick and the unfortunate ones.

Doctor Seneviratne says that the motto is medicare should be: 1. Always comfort the sick, 2. Often relieve and 3. Sometimes cure.

Doctor Seneviratne said that all patients cannot be cured of their illnesses, but the doctors must get the confidence of the patients that their pain could be relieved.

He is a lecturer and Associate Professor in St. Mathews University in Caymon Island near Florida and his institutions is affiliated to the United States of America Institution.

Dr. Michael Barrie who was a doctor attached to Kingston Hospital in 1991 and west Park Hospital (both in Surrey), has written a book: "The Surgeon's Rhyme' - a collection of interesting stories relating to the medical world. He pays a glowing tribute to Dr. Seneviratne when he said: "Dr. Seneviratne and I worked at Epson Hospital impressed on me the high value of a patient's belief and expectations. Sarath taught me far more than obstetric technique."

"No, Michael, " he used to urge, seeing that I was becoming impatient with a woman making unreasonable demands and insisting upon unorthodox treatment for her baby to be born in an unconventional manner. "You're right to say that her birth plan is unsafe but wrong to chastise her."

Huge smile

Dr. Seneviratne would speak to the patient with loving care and more often that not, would win the patient's confidence so that the surgery could be carried out.

"Sarath would flash a huge smile at the recumbent patient, wink at me and stride out. His brilliance went further. With an exceptional intellect (he passed more entrance examinations for Royal College membership than any other doctor I have known) and a Charisma born from clarity of thought, communication and vision. Sarath Senaviratne commanded the greatest respect for his surgical acumen.

He was a colleague's first choice should they (or their wives) required medical assistance. He must have performed more Caesarean sections on fellow doctors than any other professional group.

But before he got on to the scene where he cared for the sick, Saranth Seneviratne was a fine cricketer at S. Thomas' College where he was been in full flight at the Royal - Thomian cricket match where he made 96 in the 1964 match which S. Thomas' won and when he led the Thomians in 1965 and a dropped catch by Mevam Pieris off Royalist Wadugodapitiya when Royal were eight wickets down and fighting to save innings defeat held back the Thomians Wadugodapitiya went on to make a half century. Seneviratne, on that occasion made 97. He played for S. Thomas' from 1961 to 1965.

Fate unkind

After his University days were over, Sarath Senaviratne came on to the club cricket scene and it is here that fate was unkind towards him. In 1976, he headed the Sri Lanka batting averages in the Saravanamuttu Trophy tournament, but for some hidden reason the statistics were not released to the papers. He made 100 against the N. C. C. in the second innings.

The N. C. C. had two fine placemen in Ranjan Goonatilleke and Tony Optha, spinners V. Mahendran and Ajith de Silva and there was also David heyn. In the first innings, he made 61.

Then in a practice match before the selection of the Sri Lanka team to India, he top scored with 50 in 1976. However, the exclusion of Sarath Seneviratne certainly left a bad taste and it certainly was a clear case that showed that he was deprived of a place in the Sri Lanka team because he represented the wrong club. The elite clubs then were the SSC and the NCC.

He played for CCA in the Gopalan Trophy match against Madras. The Ceylon Cricket Association team was captained by stanley Jayasinghe who just could not get going with the bat as he was dismissed for just three runs, but Seneviratne made 50 in that game. The madras team had two classy spinners in V. V. Kumar and S. Venketaraghavan.

So, with the authorities not giving him his due share, Sarath Seneviratne did the next best thing to forget about playing cricket at least temporarily and go in a big way on the medical scene and he certainly has turned up trumps.

However his son Sacha is doing well at cricket at Overseas Children's schools at Pelawatte. Besides his prowess in the medical scene, he is also highly involved in community projects with his wife 'Chinki' in the Matugama area. He has already got up a computer class for Gamlatta M. V. in Matugama by providing all the equipment and his next project is to make a technical college to teach the underprivilege students English, working on computers, motor mechanism and also hopes to have sewing classes.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.