Desmond Fernando

Fernando was appointed District Medical Officer Elpitiya and later District Medical Officer Minuwangoda before resigning from government practice. He practiced as a family physician in Ratmalana for 51 years till his retirement in 2010. Although his American paediatric training was not credited by the Ministry of Health which recognised only British Qualifications, his patients recognised his dual accreditation as a paediatrician in addition to being their family physician. His patients credited him for his clinical acumen in making complex diagnoses such as the rib tip syndrome. Godfrey Senaratne comments on his dedication to keeping himself up to date through maintaining overseas standards at a time when continuing Professional development was not compulsory in Sri Lanka.

Fernando served on many international committees and in regional general practice organisations and delivered lectures in 1997 at Indian Medical Association Annual Scientific Sessions held in New Delhi, the WONCA Middle East South Asian Regional Conference in Nepal in 1996 (where interest in the DFM exam arose among the Indian representatives attending the conference following his presentation on 'Post Graduate Training in Family Medicine in Sri Lanka), the Indian Medical Association Annual Scientific Sessions held in Hyderabad in 1998, UK and USA. He was President of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka for two terms, served on the Five Member Committee set up by the Ministry of Health to examine the need to set up an autonomous National Drug Control Authority, contributed to the national guide on vaccines and served on the national task force for eradication of rabies.

Fernando served in a voluntary capacity as the School doctor for his alma mater S Thomas'College Mt Lavinia from 1963 to 1983 treating both students and teachers.

Fernando entered the Ceylon Medical College (later Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo) in 1947 winning the University Scholarship. He served on the committee of the medical students union and qualified MBBS in 1954.

Fernando was educated at S.Thomas' Preparatory school Kollupitiya and S.Thomas' College Mt Lavinia. He is known among his classmates for demonstrating a process for manufacturing small amounts of plastic and nylon at the College Science exhibition in 1945 and was awarded prizes for academic excellence. He was a junior librarian and a member of the photographic society.

Dr Bothalage Desmond James Stanley Fernando (BDJS Fernando) (1930–2012) was a Sri Lankan doctor and inventor, best known for his services to General Practice in the country.