Features
The death of my mother and returning home as a qualified physiotherapist
Excerpted from Memories that linger: My journey in the world of disability
by Padmani Mendis
(Continued from last week)
But I could neither send any more photographs nor write to my mother for much longer. She passed away in August of 1963. (The writer had recorded the previous week a visit to the Birmingham zoo when a professional photographer on assignment for Kodak testing a new film had shot some photos of her which he sent her. She had sent them to her mother).
We had just completed our Intermediate Exams and were awaiting the results. Meanwhile our summer vacation had come. Belmont and Bella Vista were closed. Lyda and I booked ourselves a holiday on Trafalgar Tours. It was advertised as a “Luxury tour visiting Eight European Capitals”. We were due to leave the following week. All our travel documents were with them in London. I was spending the days before departure in London with my brother Anura and sister-in-law Anula. They were expecting their first baby in September. She would be named Anusha Lakmini.
One day there was a flurry of phone calls between my brother Anura and older sister Nali in Colombo. Being older to me, they were my “Anura Aiya” and “Nali Akka”. I noticed Anura Aiya’s face being saddened. He came to me to tell me that my mother had taken ill. He told me that she was in hospital and Nali Akka thought it would be good for me to come home to see her. She was arranging my flight home. What I did not know then was that my mother had already gone. They did not tell me, knowing how I may react.
It was a Saturday morning. I said to my brother, “Oh my passport is with Trafalgar. I have to go get it before they close.” I rushed to Oxford Street where they were located. The Trafalgar people were very nice and even returned my payment. Lyda continued on the tour.
My flight was to be later that evening. I said to my brother, “I have time to take the train to Birmingham and return before I take the flight. Let me do that.” So I rushed to Birmingham and to Bella Vista. Mrs. Broom the warden kindly opened the house for me. I packed all my belongings including my books and papers into the two trunks that I had. I then told Mrs. Broom. “My mother is ill and I am going back to Colombo. I will not be coming back because I am going to look after her. I will arrange for the trunks to be shipped. Please keep them until then.” I was in time to get back to London and get the flight home.
I left on the Dutch airline KLM and had to change flights at Karachi. On that flight I was seated next to a young man from Senegal. We talked all the way. I told him of the reason I was going home. I was going to look after my mother who was ill and was not returning to Birmingham. He told me about his family and his home and why he was coming to Pakistan. I had not long to stay at the Karachi Airport before taking the flight to Colombo. That was not a long one and I was soon at Ratmalana airport.
I was one of the first out of the door and on to the gangway. And then I looked up to see many members of my family waiting for me. The airport was rather small then and they were not far away. I saw at once my sisters and other female relatives were all dressed in white. White is the colour one wears to signify a death in the family. I knew then my mother had gone.
All I recall is that I collapsed in a fit of hysteria. I recall vaguely also that the air hostesses were at my side but little else. Until I was at our home in Kollupitiya and my aunt Darla Mamma was coaxing me to drink a cup of tea. I refused to see my mother until much later. She appeared to be at peace with a kind of radiance about her. I recall little about her funeral. She was buried alongside her mother in the family vault her father had built for her mother.
There was little to keep me at home in Colombo any more. Now more than ever I needed a profession. I had written to Miss Horsfall that I had to come to Colombo quite suddenly and why. She told me I could stay as long as I liked. I stayed long enough with my family so that we could comfort each other in our immediate sorrow. And then I was back at Belmont on the last phase of the journey that would take me to being a physiotherapist.
Back to Belmont, Finals and Farewell
It was the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) that conducted exams for all physio schools in England, Scotland and Wales. It had examination centres in a few selected locations. Students could choose where they went. All of us from Belmont chose the excitement of London and were allocated dates individually. Mine was on November 22, 1963. It was my oldest brother’s birthday and I hoped that would bring me good luck. I travelled by coach. On my way back from London I heard some sad and shocking news on the coach radio. President Kennedy had been assassinated. The inside of the coach became as gloomy as was the outside of it.
The result of the finals was as I had hoped it would be. Two days later Miss Horsfall called me to her office. She was an examiner for the CSP and had been in the hall where I was being examined by two of her eminent colleagues. At the end of the day she had asked them how it was. One had replied, “Oh it was good for me. I passed one with credit.”
She said she knew then who had earned that credit. My friend Rosemary also got a credit pass. To the CSP a credit pass meant a distinction. Miss Horsfall and Miss Jahn as well as the other tutors were all full of smiles of satisfaction. Two credit passes in one school was an exceptional achievement.
Our task of learning was over. But my memories will not allow me to leave Birmingham as yet. Not before I recall attending the first wedding among us. That was Joyce who married her Ray who she had met when we were students. Hers was the only wedding I could go to. She was married in a beautiful little church from her parent’s home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Joyce and I still talk often on the phone. She and her Ray live in Sydney with their children and grandchildren.
Soon after I left Birmingham, Jackie, Rosemary and Barbara wed the boyfriends they had come to know for just as long as Joyce had known hers. Barbara never went back to Jamaica to make it her home. She lives now in South Couldsdon, Surrey. A few years ago Mahin came over to London from Toronto where she lives now; I went over to London and the three of us spent two weeks in Barbara’s home. But that is jumping the gun. There are still 57 years of memories flooding my mind and queuing up to be shared with you.
We said our goodbyes and left Belmont over the next couple of days. Each on our separate way. Each to the future that we would weave for ourselves.
Getting Home
I sailed for home on the S.S. Oriana, leaving Southampton on February 4. The voyage was now two weeks, down from the three that it was on my journey out. This time we made a stopover in Naples. I went ashore to visit Pompeii. On my voyage to England, I had been able to go ashore and see the pyramids, the wonders of Egypt, still standing upright. In Pompeii, I saw what was left of its ancient city buried under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius. On the tour of Naples later, I bought six of those huge life-like dolls it is well-known for. One for each of my little nieces.
Later we sailed from Port Said at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal to Suez on the Red Sea. I had missed that on my journey out, deciding to take the land route from Suez to Port Said to catch the pyramids. And I am glad of the opportunity I was given on this return journey. Whereas the pyramids are a listed Wonder of the World, so should the Suez Canal be another Wonder if any were to be added.
It seemed that all passengers were on deck; and the shore was crowded because not often would a liner of this size be seen on the canal. The land was so close that we could almost reach out and touch those who stood by. Language was no barrier as people from different lands, those on shore and those on the sea, were trying to converse. Excitement was in the air and it was infectious.
I arrived home to my family to know once again their love and warmth. My nieces and nephews had adorned our home at Clifford Road with coloured streamers and with banners saying “Welcome Home”. They had hung balloons to create an air of festivity and joy. My dog Shadow was wagging his tail and barking as if to say in his own way, “Now don’t you leave me again.” That evening my other siblings and their families would come to see me. I really was home.
A Physiotherapist in Colombo
I was anxious to start working as a physiotherapist. The idea was, of course, to join the state Ministry of Health and work in one of their hospitals in Colombo. But that was not to be. My application was turned down. Because, it seemed, the Ministry of Health now produced their own physios through a two-year training course and gave them a certificate. Prior to this about a dozen had been sent abroad for training, and that had stopped when the new school was started.
The latter were paid more than the former. The Ministry did not wish to recruit any others with foreign qualifications. Never heard such nonsense – have you? It was obvious that someone or some people would not approve my application for reasons of their own. That was Ceylon then. Many years later when I made my application a second time, I was taken into employment on condition that I accept the same salary as those who had qualified in Sri Lanka. I had no difficulty doing that. It was more important to me that I had rewarding work.
So when I was refused employment in the government health service there was no choice but to find work in the private sector. This was easy. I found employment in a well patronised hospital in a densely populated and poor area of Colombo. It provided all who came to them with the medical or surgical care they needed. Sulaiman’s Hospital was well staffed and well run with several wards for inpatients and a busy out patient service. The owner was himself a medical practitioner and carried out a hands-on, dual-purpose job, both managing the day-to-day running of the hospital and seeing patients. He saw both the value of physio to patients and its financial value to him.
Ward patient physio could be justified, as many were admitted with strokes and fractures and similar conditions. But because of the cost, none seemed to stay long; not long enough for physio to have an effect. The “physio room” was very close to the out-patient department and I was referred a constant stream of patients with very trivial conditions, most of whom would have recovered even had they not had my services. These patients were generally very poor. They seldom returned after having had to pay the hospital for one session with me. This certainly was not the physio I had dreamed of practicing.
After a few months I was offered work in a private clinic in a completely different environment. I had no hesitation taking up this offer. This clinic had a more affluent clientele. They were comfortable paying for their treatment and appreciated the value of physio. Many were on health insurance anyway. I worked in the clinic itself. I was also sent to other private hospitals. Also, to visit homes of patients armed with a short-wave diathermy machine and an infrared lamp, both of which had seen better days.
At that time, it appeared that many doctors referring patients for physiotherapy believed that the scope of physiotherapy was limited to the use of these two machines. Besides this, my concern was also whether patients could afford it or not, physio bills did add up. These realities upset my conscience.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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