- Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
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Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Cap badge of the Sri Lanka Army Medical CorpsActive 1881 - present day Country Sri Lanka Branch Sri Lanka Army Type Medical Unit Role Combat Support-Medical Size 6 Units Regimental Centre Panagoda Cantonment Nickname SLMC Engagements World War I
World War II
1971 Insurrection
Insurrection 1987-89
Sri Lankan Civil WarCommanders Centre Commandant Col D.S.N.K. Senadheera WWV, RWP, RSP Colonel Commandant Major General V.R. Silva RSP, USP, ndu, IG Notable
commandersMajor General Dr. Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, SLMC The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLMC) is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 4 regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters. The corps Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius.
Contents
History
The beginnings of the Corp goes back 29 July 1881 when stretcher beater company was initially raised as a part of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers, this soon became the Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps later becoming part of the Ceylon Defence Force, being deployed during world wars.
Soon after the disbandment of the Ceylon Defence Force after independence, Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps became a part of the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force with Lt. Col Sydney Jayawardene was the first Commanding Officer. But in October 1950 Ceylon Army Medical Corps in the Regular Force of the Ceylon Army was created. At its start it had 3 Officers and 20 Other Ranks were drawn from the wartime CVMC. Lt. Col H.C Serasighe, OBE was the first Commanding Officer of the Regular Medical Corps. That year a 10 bedded camp reception station was opened at the former British Military Hospital of the Royal Army Medical Corps, shortly it was upgraded to a 30 – bedded service hospital. The corps was renamed once again in 1972 as the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps when Sri Lanka became a republic.
The corps has served the in under different circumstances in its post-independence history. It had assisted civil medical services during natural disasters and takes over operations of national & provincial hospitals when its doctors and staff goes on stick. The corps has treated battle casualties and has itself received casualties when its personal come under attack during combat operations in the 1971 Insurrection and Sri Lankan Civil War.
Hospitals
Since all three armed forces and the police maintain their medical services with their own hospitals, the corp is only responsible for maintaining and operating army medical facilities mainly focused on treatment of battle casualties. Apart from medical reception stations in almost all military stations these include;
- Colombo Military Hospital, Colombo
- Victoria Military Hospital, Anuradhapura
- Base Hospitals in
- Panagoda Cantonment
- Diyatalawa Garrison
- Palaly Military Base
- Ampara Military Base
Units
Regular Army
- 1st Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
- 3rd Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
- 4th Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
- 5th Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Volunteers
- 2nd(V) Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Vocational Training Centres
Under Sri Lanka Medical Corps Sri Lanka Army Military School Of Nursing functions for training of Nurses.
Trades/Careers
Officer Careers:
Soldier Trades:
- Physiotherapist
- Mediacal laborotary technologist
- Pharmacist
- Nurse
- Dental Nurse
- Dental Hygienist
- Clinical Physiologist
- Combat Medical Technician
- Operating Department Practitioner
- Pharmacy Assistant
- Radiographer
Notable members
- Major General Dr Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, MBBS - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the SLAMC[1]
- Brigadier Dr H. I. K. Fernando - former Ceylon cricketer
- Colonel Dr Anthony "Tony" Gabriel, MBBS, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Edin), Hon. FDS(SL), Hon. FDSRCS (Eng) - former Commanding officer, 2nd(V) Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps, President of the College of Surgeons Sri Lanka and Hon. Fellow British Association of Oral and Maxillofascial Surgeons.[2]
- Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Rex De Costa, MBE - former Commanding officer, Ruhunu Regiment and Vice President, World Veterans Federation
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Sri Lanka Army Service CorpsOrder of Precedence Succeeded by
Sri Lanka Army Ordnance CorpsSee also
References
External links and sources
Armed Forces of Sri Lanka Regiments and corps of the Sri Lanka Army Combat Arms Armoured Corps · Light Infantry · Sinha Regiment · Gemunu Watch · Gajaba Regiment · Vijayabahu Regiment · Mechanized Infantry · President's Guard · Commandos · Special Forces · Rifle Corps · National GuardSupport Arms Support Services Disbanded Ceylon Mounted Rifles · Ceylon Planters Rifle · Ceylon Railway Engineer · Ceylon Rifle · Colombo Town Guard · National Service Regiment · Post and Telegraph Signals · Rajarata Rifles · Ruhunu RegimentCategories:- Regiments of the Sri Lankan Army
- Military medical organizations
- Medical units and formations
- Military medicine in Sri Lanka
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