North Colombo Medical College ( NCMC ) was the first privately funded medical school in Sri Lanka . It started in 1980 with the admission of 100 local and 20 foreign students. The first batch of students began graduating in 1990. Founded by the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka , Dr. G. M. Heenilame was its first chairman and Dr. W.D. Ratnavelle, its first director. It was nationalized in 1989 and became the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya . The first batch of students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya completed their five-year course and graduated with the MBBS degree in September 1996.
11-690: In 1979, the College of General Practitioners (CGP) examine the feasibility of establishing a non-profit, fee-levying graduate medical institution as proposed by Dr. G. M. Heennilame which he had been advocating since 1975. Dr Walter Gooneratne and a few others convinced of the feasibility and necessity for a private medical college joined him. In November 1979 the college appointed a Project Implementation Committee comprising Drs Heennilame, Aloysius and Gooneratne “to take all necessary steps to start an undergraduate medical college.” Between April and July 1980, Drs Sathis Jayasinghe, W D Ratnavale and Shelton Cabraal joined
22-453: A committee made up of K.H.J. Wijedasa (Presidential Secretary), W.M.P.B. Menikdiwela (Former Presidential Secretary), Ananda Guruge and Bradman Weerakoon to look into the NCMC. Soon after the NCMC was nationalized with the government sending the army to occupy the buildings at Talagolla stating security reasons. Its board was replaced by a Competent Authority, Prof. Carlo Fonseka . He continued as
33-803: Is the body responsible for funding most of the State Universities in Sri Lanka , and operates within the frame work of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. A public organisation, established under the Parliament Act No 16 of 1978. Location is at No 20, Ward Place Colombo 07. It distributes public money, allocated by the Government for teaching and research to universities and university affiliated institutes, as such controls much influence and appointments at state universities. The official functions of
44-580: The NCMC came under criticism and opposition of many socialist elements in the island, with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which had in 1988 initiated an insurrection carrying out a bomb attack on the NCMC administration section in 1988. The Board of Management conferred its own medical degree MBBS (NCMC) instead of the one from the University of Colombo and affiliated itself with the University of Aberdeen . In 1989, President Premadasa appointed
55-610: The UN (1991–1994). Educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia , he graduated from the University of Ceylon with a degree in chemistry and gained a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of London . Joining the University of Ceylon as a lecturer, he went on to head the department of agricultural chemistry. In 1965 he was appointed to the Senate, when Dudley Senanayake
66-501: The end of his term of office, provided invaluable support. Dr Stanley Kalpage as chairman of the University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka) and secretary of Higher Education played a similar role. The others who provided assistance included Prof Stanley Wijesundera and the academic staff of the University of Colombo, Dr Malinga Fernando, L H R Peiris, Gamini Jayasuriya, B C Perera and Edward Arambawela. Since its inception
77-600: The first Dean when the NCMC was transferred to the University of Kelaniya as its Faculty of Medicine. Stanley Kalpage Deshamanya Felix Stanley Christopher Perera Kalpage (died 2000) was a Sri Lankan academic and statesman. He was a member of the Senate of Ceylon , the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India (1989–1991) and its Permanent Representative to
88-576: The project had no funds, no office, no staff, nothing in writing about approval and little credibility. Yet within one year and two months on 21 September 1981, the President of Sri Lanka, Junius Richard Jayewardene , ceremonially opened the North Colombo Medical College. The college placed on record those who helped to make the NCMC a reality, with their encouragement and assistance. These included President J R Jayewardene who, from 1979 till
99-481: The team. On July 4, 1980 the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka appointed the Board of Governors and director of the North Colombo Medical College. The Board of Governors appointed were Drs Heennilame, Aloysius, Gooneratne, Jayasinghe and Cabraal. Dr WD Ratnavale was appointed director. Dr Stanley Kalpage appropriately described this achievement as “truly a miracle”. After all, when these six persons were appointed,
110-508: Was Prime Minister. From 1974 to 1977 he served as Professor of Soil Science at the University of Malaya . Returning to Sri Lanka in 1977, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary of the newly formed Ministry of Higher Education. Soon after he was appointed as the first Chairman of the University Grants Commission and served in this capacity till 1989. During this time Ruhuna University College and Batticaloa University College were established and upgraded to university status. In 1989, he
121-596: Was appointed as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and from 1991 to 1994 he served as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations . In 1993 Kalpage was awarded the title Deshamanya from the Government of Sri Lanka. He was married to Chitranganie, and had two sons, Sanjay and Pravin. University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka) University Grants Commission
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