The Ophthalmological Society of Ceylon was formed by a group of interested clinicians who met at the Victoria memorial eye hospital on 1st December 1957 and is the second oldest specialist association in the country. Dr WHD Ferdinands was the founder president. Drs P.Sivasubramaniam and Lloyd Weerakoon were elected joint secretaries of the society. The first clinical meeting of the society was held on 15th December 1957.
The first annual congress of the society was held in 1958 September at the Medical Research Insitiute, Colombo. Ophthalmologists from the Asia Pacific Academy attended this congress. In keeping with increasing academic demands of the PGIM and the advancement of ophthalmic care in the country the need for the formation of a college was felt and the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka was formed in 1991 with Dr P. Sivasubramaniam as its founder president.
In 1989 -90 the constitution of the College of Ophthalmologists was formulated by the sub-comittee headed by Dr CAB Makuloluwa. The committee comprised of Dr PA Wirasinha, Dr. Upali Mendis, Dr. MHS Cassim, Dr. Mrs. Champa Banagala and Dr B. Stephen who was the president of the society at the time. In 1992 Dr P. Sivasubramaniam was inducted as the founder president of the college by the president of the Ophthalmological Society Dr. Stephen.
The College Mace and the Logo were designed and accepted by the college in 1992.
The journal of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka was initiated with the formation of the college and the printing of the journal “transactions of ophthalmology” by the Ophthalmological Society ceased, and the first edition of the journal of the college was published in 1993. It had two editors Dr P Sivasubramaniam being the founder editor. From 2001 the publication of the journal was every six months (annual to biyearly) to date. This is a peer reviewed journal.
Under Dr CD Jayaweera Bandara’s presidency the college office was opened on 20th January 1999 in the Victoria memorial Eye Hospital.
The founder president Dr P Sivasubramaniam passed away when he was 86yrs old in December 2002. The Dr P. Sivasubramaniam oration is delivered every year from the year 2003 by invitation. The oration is dedicated to the memory of the most revered ophthalmologist who lived in Sri Lanka.
The college successfully conducted the VIIth and VIIIth SAARC ophthalmological congresses with the annual scientific sessions in 2000 and 2006 respectively. |
Past Presidents
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Dr. P. Sivasubramaniam
DO,MS,FRCS, FRCOphth, FCS(SL,HON)
1992 |
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Dr. P.A. Wirasinha
DO,FRCS,FRCOphth
1993 |
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Dr. C.R.Seimon
DO,FRCS,FRCOphth
1994 |
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Dr. Upali Mendis
DO,FRCS, FRCS(Edin), FRCOphth
1995 |
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Prof. Benitta E. Stephen
FRCS, FRCOphth, FCOphth
1996 |
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Dr. M.H.S. Cassim
DO,FRCS, FRCOphth
1997 |
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Dr. A.B. Abeysinghe
DO,FRCS,FRCOphth
1998 |
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Dr. C.D.Jayaweera Bandara
DO,FRCS,FRCOphth
1999-2000 |
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Dr.C.A.B. Makuloluwa
MS
2001 |
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Dr. Daya De Silva
MS
2002 |
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Dr. Champa Banagala
DO,MS,FRCS
2003 |
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Dr. Saliya Pathirana
DO,MS,FRCS
2004 |
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Dr. Mangala Gamage
DO,MS,FRCS
2005 |
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Dr. D. Wariyapola
DO,MS,FRCS
2006 |
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Dr.Tissa Senarathne
DO, MS
2007 |
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Dr. Binara Amarasinghe
DO ,MS,FRCS
2008 |
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Dr. Mrs. Irugalbandara
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