Professor in Paediatrics

Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

chandrakum@hotmail.com

Educational/professional  Qualifications:

MBBS. (Cey.), DCH (Lond). FRCP (Lon),      FSLCP

Workshops/ Seminars undergraduate or postgraduate, conducted on a regular basis

Invited speaker of the monthly clinical meetings of   Kandy Society of Medicine-
Topic- Management of urinary tract infections in children
                                   
Anuradhapura clinical society-
Topic-  Noisy breathing in children Urinary tract infections in children

Gampola clinical society-
Topic- Management of urinary tract infections in children

Dambulla clinical society-
Topic- Management of urinary tract infections in children

Resource person of the workshop organised by the College of Paediatricians for the formulation of guidelines for the management of urinary tract infections in children

Resource person of the workshop on management of dengue fever organised by the Harispattuwa clinical Society 2004.

Resource person of the workshop on the management of dengue fever organised by the Post Graduate Centre, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya 2004.

Resource person of the pre congress seminar on Nephrology at the 27th Annual Academic Sessions of the Kandy Society of Medicine 2005.

Resource person of the workshop on Practical Nephrology organised by the Provincial Director of Health Services – Uva Province 15th February 2005.

Resource person of the workshop on Dengue fever organised by the Provincial Director of Health Services- Central Province 20th March 2006.

Resource person of the119th Annual Sessions of Sri Lanka Medical
Association – March 2006

COURSES AND CONFERENCES        

• 2nd Asian Pan Pacific Society of Gastroenterology  1998 Galle, Sri Lanka  
• 9th Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology 14 - 22 February 2003 Pataya, Thailand 
• Asia Pacific Scientific Symposium on “Vaccines for all life stages”  9th and 10th March 2003 Kotakinabalu, Malaysia     
• 2nd World Congress of Nephrology  June 8-12 2003  Berlin, Germany
• SAARC Conference on Paediatrics  in association with the College of Paediaticians   September 2003  
  Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• The 11th Asian Congress of Paediatrics  2-7 November 2003  Bangkok, Thailand
• 13th Congress of the International Paediatric Nephrology Association September 2004  Adelaide, Australia
• 7th International Medical Congress organised by The Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association                5th – 7th August 2004    
• International Conference on Prevention on Progression of Renal Disease organised by the International Society of Nephrology 29th June – 1st July 2004  Hong Kong
• 16th Annual Conference of Paediatric Nephrology and   International Paediatric Association Training Course held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi  26-28 November 2004
• International Conference on Vaccination for All Life Stages  14th-15th May 2005  Bangkok, Thailand
• Pre congress workshop of the 3rd World Congress of Nephrology on Paediatric Nephrology                   25th June 2005.Singapore
• 3rd World Congress of Nephrology  26th –29th June 2005.  Singapore
• A satellite meeting of the 3rd World Congress of Nephrology on Renal Disease in Minority Populations and Developing Nations. 30th June-2nd July 2005 Singapore
• 9th Asian Congress of Paediatric Nephrology 28th-30th October 2005.  Beijing, China

WORKSHOPS

•  Workshop on Neonatal Screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism 24th January 2006  held at Faculty of Medicine – University of Peradeniya
• Workshop on Prevention and Progression of Renal Disease  25th June 2005  organised by International Society of Nephrology  Singapore
• Workshop on Clinical Research 18th March 2005  organized by the Research and Ethical Review Committee
   Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya
• Consultative workshop on establishing a National Nutrition Surveillance  18th May 2005 organized by the Nutrition Coordination Division and  World Food Programme, Sri Lanka
• Workshop on Evidence Based Medicine13th June 2005  organized by the Medical Education Unit,                  Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya
• Workshop on the use of IT in Clinical Medicine October 2005   organized by the library committee                 Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya
• Workshop on Dialysis Technology 16th-18th December 1998   at the 4th International Medical Congress            organised by the Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association
• Teaching Workshop of Asian Pan Pacific Society of Gastroenterology and Nutrition (APPSPGAN)                 20th –23rd  1998  Galle – Sri Lanka

Service provide to GHP/ GHK/ Other institutions

My initial involvement with teaching began when I was appointed as registrar in paediatrics in the professorial unit of the Teaching hospital, Kandy from 1978 to 1981. The brief exposure here aroused in me a desire to impart knowledge and skill to students. Thereafter my main commitment has been the teaching of undergraduates at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and postgraduate students of the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo since my appointment as a Senior Lecturer in 1991.

My undergraduate teaching devolves into many facets. It includes lecturing, conducting ward rounds, ward classes, arranging and supervising family visits, organising clinical presentations, teaching sessions in the clinics and also in the neonatal unit. I have been conducting Paediatric lectures and clinical teaching of the introductory clinical programme.  My postgraduate teaching extends to the supervision and bedside teaching plus conducting grand ward rounds in the Kandy hospital in consultation with the paediatricians there. I also arrange weekly journal meetings for postgraduate students and monthly radiology meetings with the department of radiology.

As the Head of the Department of Paediatrics I shoulder the responsibility of organising the teaching programme and examinations for final year medical students of the University of Peradeniya and supervising the functioning and administrative framework of the department.

I have been a member of the Board of study in Paediatrics and also an examiner for the MD and DCH exams of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo since 1993. I have also been a lecturer in the assistant Medical Practitioner Course conducted at the Medical Faculty of Peradeniya.
Additionally, I conduct a series of lecturers on nutrition for the department of Biochemistry and am a member of the board of the biochemistry viva for the 2nd MBBS examination.
Further, I am an external clinical examiner for the Faculties of Medicine at the universities of Colombo, Sri Jayawardenapura, Kelaniya and Ruhuna.
I have also published an educational booklet for parents of children with urinary tract infections and authored a chapter on encephalitis for the book ‘Your Child Your Family’ by Prof H Apponso.

SERVICES

I function as full time consultant paediatrician for the teaching Hospital, Peradeniya together with two other consultants. All patients admitted to this tertiary care unit come under my care and my work virtually extends to working around the clock. My main interest happens to be nephrology and in addition to my general paediatric clinic, I conduct a special clinic for children with urinary tract infections and chronic renal failure. I also work in the neonatal unit of the hospital and provide care for the newly born.

It has been my privilege to be the coordinator of the first paediatric kidney transplant program in Sri Lanka that has been started in the Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya in 2004. I have been actively involved in all aspects of child nephrology and total welfare of these patients. This is a collaborative effort in conjunction with the departments of surgery, anaesthesia and radiology with the sole objective of giving a new lease of life to poor needy children with renal failure from all parts of the island. A special fund named the children’s kidney protection fund was initiated to provide finances for children in dire need.

National and international contributions

LIFE MEMBERSHIPS

• Kandy Society of Medicine
• Peradeniya Medical Students Alumni Association (PEMSAA)
• Sri Lanka Medical Association
• Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians