Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

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Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Cap badge of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps.png
Cap badge of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Active1881 - present day
Country Sri Lanka
Branch Sri Lanka Army
TypeMedical corps
RoleCombat Support-Military Medicine
Size6 Units
Regimental Centre
Nickname(s)SLMC
EngagementsWorld War I
World War II
1971 Insurrection
Insurrection 1987-89
Sri Lankan Civil War
Commanders
Centre CommandantBrigadier TM Hettiarachchi, RSP
Colonel CommandantBrigadier PAC Fernando, USP
Notable
commanders		Major General Dr. Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, SLMC

The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLMC) (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා යුද හමුදා වෛද්‍ය බලකාය Shri Lanka Yuddha Hamuda Vayidya Balakaya) 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.

History[]

The beginnings of the Corps goes back to 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 Serasinghe, 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 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.[citation needed] The corps has treated battle casualties and has itself received casualties when its personnel came 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;

Military Hospitals
Base Hospitals in

Units[]

Regular Army[]

  • 1st Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps ()
  • 3rd Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (Anuradhapura)
  • 4th Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (jaffna)
  • 5th Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (Habarana)

Volunteers[]

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:

Notable members[]

  • Sir Frank Gunasekera, CBE, ED - former Deputy President of the Senate of Ceylon and Commanding officer, Ceylon Medical Corps (1935-1939)
  • Major General Dr Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, MBBS - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the SLAMC[1]
  • Major General Dr Sanjeewa Munasinghe, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP - Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Director General, Army Health Services, and Colonel Commandant of the SLAMC
  • O/60041 Major General Dr Thusitha Janaka Liyanaarachchi (SLAMC) 1982-2018 former Director of Army Medical Procurement Services
  • Colonel Vincent Henry Ludovici Anthonisz, OBE, VD - former Commanding officer, Ceylon Medical Corps (1939-1946)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Rex De Costa, MBE - former Commanding officer, Ruhunu Regiment and Vice President, World Veterans Federation
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dr. John Rockwood, VD - former Commanding officer, Ceylon Medical Corps (1927-1931)
  • Brigadier Dr H. I. K. Fernando - ADC, MBBS, DA (London), Officer of the Order of St. John -Former Director Army Medical Services and All Ceylon cricket player
  • 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]

Order of precedence[]

Preceded by
Sri Lanka Army Service Corps 		Order of Precedence Succeeded by
Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Major General C. Thurairaja was a sporting superstar Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "The Island-Features". Retrieved 6 February 2015.

External links and sources[]

Retrieved from ""