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Welcome to the Newsletter of the SLCM
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CONTENTS
Message from the president
Council 2021 - 2022
News from the college
Publications
Members Contributions
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Message from the President 2021-2022
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I have great pleasure in extending my warm greetings to you all through the first newsletter of this council year. The newsletter is considered to be a useful means of updating knowledge and keeping members informed of many SLCM activities.
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Together with my enthusiastic and energetic council and the office staff, I am working hard in planning and implementing activities which benefit the members and country as a whole. I invite you all to go through the lineup of events for this year in the Calender of Events.
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Induction of President and Dr. Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration was held on 19th March 2022 with the limited participation respecting the existing health regulations due to COVID 19 pandemic. The next major academic event of the college, the Annual Scientific Sessions is planned to be held from 24th to 26th August 2022 at Ariyana Reach Hotel, Maharagama. This year the theme adopted is “The role of clinical microbiologist within clinical governance framework: From blue print to reality”. We have planned activities around the above theme which we hope will be of interest to you.
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The most precious resource of SLCM I believe, has been our membership which includes many specialties and subspecialties. I am aware that the members of the college have enormous potential and each one of you has a unique capability and capacity. I earnestly wish that great dedication, commitment, steady support, meaningful contribution with enthusiasm, active participation and cooperation will be extended by all of you becoming unwavering pillars of strength to me and my council during my tenure of office as the President which will determine the value and success of planned activities enabling us to make the year ahead a fruitful and a memorable one.
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During this continuing threat of Global COVID 19 pandemic but relieving a bit at the moment and expecting favourable response, all of us have to work together to meet the objectives laid down in the constitution, under the banner of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists showing our unity and the great strength. This will enable us to facilitate decision – making to ensure better standards in the field of microbiology and infection prevention and control and also implementing them in a prioritized manner. Providing guidance to policy makers in relevant subjects, ensuring safety of the healthcare workers, patients and public, defending the values of the field of microbiology and infection prevention and control and engaging in matters related to burning issues such as combating antimicrobial resistance through effective and proven means depend on the continuing support we receive from you, the members.
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Together with the council I remain fully receptive to the constructive criticism from valued membership in overcoming our weaknesses and shortcomings to take remedial measures to improve our ways. We are always ready to welcome ideas which are important, relevant, practical and are of timely significance.
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In addition to the practice of issuing the regular news letters, and continuous medical education programmes (CME) we also plan to organize professional development activities such as awareness programmes in different provinces on timely topics, programmes to commemorate advocacy days and weeks in improving the visibility of our role in the society, workshops to improve the existing skills of our members on management and procurement and also revising existing national guidelines on antimicrobials.
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I invite you to participate in all SLCM activities and contribute towards the SLCM Newsletter by submitting articles of interest and latest news items and also to make it a habit to visit our website and Facebook page which are enriched with new knowledge and important and timely activities. I thank all those who submitted material for the Bulletin of the SLCM in the form of review articles, research (original) articles, case reports, photo quiz and abstracts of oral and poster presentations to be made at the Annual Scientific Sessions 2022.
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Please keep 24th to 26th August free to attend the SLCM Annual Scientific Sessions 2022.
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Take care and stay safe.
Thank you
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Dr. Charini Geethika Patabendige
President
Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists
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Dr. Samanmalee Gunasekera
Dr. Roshan Jayasuriya
Dr. Madhumanee Abeywardena
Dr. Bhagya Piyasiri
Dr. Nadeeka Janage
Dr. Rohitha Muthugala
Dr. Kishani Dinapala
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The Induction of President &
Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration 2022
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Induction of Dr. Geethika Patabendige as the President of Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists 2022
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Dr. Geethika Patabendige was inducted as the President of Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists on the 19th of March 2022 at the Hilton Colombo Residencies.
Prof. Nadira Karunaweera the outgoing president of the SLCM introduced Dr. Geethika Patabendige to the gathering.
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The Dr. Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration
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The Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration was instituted by the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists in 2004, in memory of the late Dr R S B Wickremesinghe, who was one of the earliest members of the College, and its’ President in 1994.
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The Dr. Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration 2022
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“To do or not to do – Infection prevention and control - Should it be evidence based?”
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By Dr. Kushlani Jayatilleke
MBBS (Colombo) PG Diploma in Medical
Microbiology, MD in Medical Microbiology
Consultant Microbiologist
Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital
Nugegoda
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The Siri Wickremesinghe Memorial Oration was held on 19th March 2022, at the Hilton Residences, Colombo The Orator was Dr. Kushlani Jayatilleke, Consultant Microbiologist, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Nugegoda.
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The topic of the oration was “To do or not to do – Infection prevention and control - Should it be evidence based?”
The Orator - Dr. Kushlani Jayatilleke, Consultant Microbiologist Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Nugegoda
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Highlights of the event
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31st Annual Scientific Sessions 2022
of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists
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Theme:
“The Role of clinical microbiologist within clinical governance framework: From blue print to reality”
24th -26th August 2022
Ariyana Reach Hotel, Maharagama
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An Ordinary General Meeting of Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists was held as a virtual event on the 19th January 2022. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Geethika Patabendige, the President of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists.
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New Members
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Members Contributions
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SARS CoV-2 variant surveillance based on gene sequencing
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Consultant Medical Virologist
Department of Molecular Biology
Medical Research Institute
Colombo
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Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo and Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, University of Colombo have conducted SARS CoV-2 variant analysis based on gene sequencing data generated by Oxford Nanopore gene sequencing method since July 2021. Prof. Inoka C Perera has been coordinating the team at University of Colombo and Ministry of Health has supported this surveillance work.
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Time to get alerted for Flu Now…!!!
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By Kandy Virology Laboratory team
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Influenza virus is one of the most common respiratory viruses infecting humans worldwide and it is a winter virus in temperate and year-round circulation in the tropical countries. With an aim to reduce the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as compulsory face mask, social distancing and travel restrictions, were introduced in the Sri Lanka during a large part of 2020 and 2021. These preventive measures may influence the transmission of other respiratory viruses including Influenza.
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Other respiratory tract infections during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southern province, Sri Lanka 2021
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By
Dr. Vigeetha Withanage,
Acting Consultant Virologist
TH Karapitiya, Galle
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While there is an ongoing COVID -19 pandemic situation, the Department of Virology at Teaching Hospital Karapitiya have investigated a limited number of patients for non-COVID Viral respiratory infections during 2021.
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Commemoration of World Hand Hygiene Day 2022
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By
Dr. Geethika Patabendige
President
Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists
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World Hand Hygiene Day highlights the importance of hand hygiene (HH) in healthcare and it is commemorated globally on 5th May every year.
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Platinum Sponsors
30TH ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS 2021
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Do you have an article you wish to publish in the newsletter or the college website ?
Forward it to Professor Neluka Fernando , Editor, Sri lanka Collage of Microbiologists
E mail fneluka@gmail.com
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- The text of the article should be sent in word format.
- Images should not be included/incorporated in the word document .
- The Images should be sent separately.
- The images should be numbered and the place where the corresponding image should be inserted must be clearly marked in the word document.
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