Governor of Victoria due here

Sri Lankan born Professor David de Krester AC, Governor of Victoria, Australia will be on an official visit to Sri Lanka on March 14 and 15.

The main focus of the visit is to represent the people of Victoria at the opening of the Sri Lanka - Victoria Emergency Trauma Centre at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The purpose-designed centre, a donation from the Victoria Government, will give the hospital the ability to deliver world standard emergency trauma care.

This is the last of five projects funded by the Victorian Government to assist Sri Lanka's reconstruction after the devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Projects in the sectors of education, livelihoods, housing and health have successfully been delivered in the south, east and north.

Professor David de Krester was born in Colombo, and migrated to Australia in 1949. He is the only Sri Lankan-born person to have been appointed an Australian governor. The visit to Sri Lanka will be one of his last official engagements before his five-year term ends in early April.

His academic career bridged medicine and anatomy, having held positions at Monash University in Melbourne as Professor and Chairman of Anatomy, Founding Director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development and Associate Dean for Biotechnology Development.

His research into reproductive biology, infertility and endocrinology has been recognised nationally and internationally.

Professor de Kretser will also be a guest speaker at a function organised by the Sri Lanka Medical Association.