"Compassion and humanity must remain at the heart of medicine": strong call from internal medicine specialists
"We must always remember that compassion and humanity should forever remain at the heart of medicine," affirmed Dr N. Madhuwanthi Hettiarachchi, president of the Sri Lanka College of Internal Medicine (SLCIM).
Speaking at the opening of SLCIM's 10th annual academic congress SIMCON 2026, held in Colombo from November 5 to 7 under the theme 'A Decade of Inspiration, A Future of Innovation in Internal Medicine', she said: "Ten years ago we dared to dream. Today we stand on the strength of that vision. Tomorrow we must dare to innovate. The future of medicine is not ours merely to watch, but to shape."
Founded in Kandy in March 2016 with just 67 doctors, SLCIM today has over 600 members. Its 10th president outlined nine 'Pillars of Innovation' guided by inclusion and equity, with inclusive and equitable healthcare at the centre.
The chief guest was Dr Sarath D. Gunapala, senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory; the special guest was Professor Mark Strachan, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Professor Shamila De Silva of the University of Kelaniya delivered the Professor T. Varagunam Oration on metabolic syndrome, diabetes and early detection in Sri Lanka, drawing on the Ragama Health Study. The SLCIM learning portal and new publications were launched.
Acute Medical Life Support training linked 24 centres across Sri Lanka for the first time, reaching over 800 participants. Through the Research and Innovation Hub, national projects began on stroke outcomes, frailty, dyslipidaemia, fatty liver disease, NCD prevention in young adults and medical ward capacity.
On the national Medical Ward Capacity Survey, she said bed occupancy averaged 141 percent even outside outbreaks; over one in five patients were treated on the floor; bed-sharing was recorded in over 60 percent of wards; half lacked even two feet between beds. "Treating patients on the floor must never become an accepted standard of care," she stressed.
SIMCON 2026 featured nine pre-congress workshops, a joint workshop with India's diabetes research association (RSSDI), a session on military medicine, a keynote, five plenary lectures and eight symposia, in collaboration with the American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Mayo Clinic, the International Society of Internal Medicine and the medical associations of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
