DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE

 


Family Medicine was introduced as a subject into the curriculum of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura at the inception of the Faculty in 1993. The subject was taught in the Division of Community Health which was later named the Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine. This Department was established under the founding Head and Professor, Senior Family Physician Dr. Leela de A. Karunaratne.

In 2004 a separate Department of Family Medicine was established. This is the first department of Family Medicine which was established in any medical school in Sri Lanka. Prof. M.S.A. Perera was appointed the Head of this Department. She was awarded the Chair in Family Medicine in 2007 and leads an active and dedicated team of academics in improving the quality of teaching.

 

MISSION

To develop mature professionals who will approach general/family practice with compassion, integrity and dedication

 

 

 

THE UNIVERSITY FAMILY PRACTICE CENTRE

 


This is a purpose built medical centre which provides services to the public and is used for training of undergraduate and post graduate students and for research. Named University Family Practice Centre, it was ceremonially opened in July 1997. The centre was recognized by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) for training postgraduates for the Diploma and MD in Family Medicine in 1998.

Patients are registered in the practice and practice registers and records are maintained. Regular audits are carried out. We have now 2000 families registered at the Centre.

 

 

 

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING AND TRAINING IN FAMILY MEDICINE

 

In the early stages, when the traditional curriculum was implemented, family medicine was allocated 40 hours for classroom teaching and 4 weeks of clinical training in the final year. In 2007 when the curriculum was changed into a system based modular integrated curriculum, Family Medicine teaching programme starts in the 3rd term.

From the first batch onwards, clinical training was carried out in the university family practice centre and in the private general practices by a set of dedicated GP teachers who joined as extended faculty members. With the new curriculum students are being sent for two weeks to the Preliminary care unit at Homagama base hospital as a learning experience for management of emergencies.

A log diary in general practice was introduced from September 2009. This consists of management of common conditions seen in GP and observation & performance of simple procedures carried out in GP.

We emphasize quality care within a patient centered model. Guided by the principles of family medicine we place a special importance on teaching the role of the family doctor in primary care and in the community.

 

 

Department of Family Medicine is where...

  • every member feels valued, heard, and respected
  • honesty is implicit in our daily work
  • communication is direct and open
  • the teaching, practice, and advancement of healing is paramount
  • healthcare is delivered with compassion and respect
  • balance is maintained in our professional and personal lives
  • all members feel integral to the pursuit of these goals

 

 

 

 

COURSES INVOLVED

 

Undergraduate

  • MBBS
  • B.Sc. Nursing
  • B.Pharm
  • Medical Laboratory Sciences

 

Postgraduate - Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM)

  • Diploma in Family Medicine
  • Diploma in Family Medicine by Distance Education - Online mode
  • Diploma in Family Medicine in collaboration with Indian Medical Association (IMA)
  • MD by clinical training and examination (SL)
  • MD by thesis (SL)
  • MD by thesis in collaboration with Indian Medical Association (IMA)

 

College of General Practitioners Sri Lanka (CGPSL)

  • MCGP
  • MRCGP (Int) - South Asia
  • Training government doctors from Western province in Family Practice

 

 

 

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

 

Undergraduate & Postgraduate Training

The main facility available for undergraduate & postgraduate training is a purpose built Family Practice Centre (FPC) which renders primary medical care services to the people of the surrounding villages. The patients are seen at a nominal fee and are referred to professorial units at Colombo South Teaching Hospital for shared care. There is collaboration between other departments such as Microbiology, Physiology, Parasitology, Pathology and Community Medicine for coordination of care. There is collaboration with the Help Age Lanka to provide services for the elderly.

 

Electives

In collaboration with foreign universities our department offers elective programs.

 

Seminar Rooms

Two seminar rooms, a multimedia projector, an over head projector and a slide projector are available for teaching and learning. One room is equipped with a CCTV system for training in communication skills. Each seminar room can accommodate 15-20 students.

 

Family Practice Centre (FPC)

The FPC is well equipped to provide outpatient care to the community. We have five consultation rooms, a laboratory with qualified medical laboratory technologists to perform laboratory investigations. We well equipped to manage emergencies encountered in primary care. Our mini operating theatre has facilities to perform minor surgical procedures. We provide physiotherapy services twice weekly.

 

Consultations

Approximately 40-50 patients consult daily. Services are provided for walk-in patients between 8.00 am and 12.00 noon. Registration is restricted to families consulting on a continuing basis. Services are provided by academic staff members of whom three are specialists and by postgraduate trainees. In addition a doctor released from the Colombo South Teaching Hospital takes part in consultations. A paper based recording system is maintained for all registered patients. A separate patient based diabetic record has been introduced from December 2010 which will improve co-ordination of care.

 

Minor Surgical Procedures

The mini surgical theatre is available for minor surgical procedures, such as removal of abnormal/diseased nails, incision & drainage of abscesses, removal of sebaceous cysts, etc & dermatological procedures for example, electric and chemical (TCA) cauterization.

 

Emergency Care

Emergency management is available from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm on weekdays. A nebulizer, ECG machine, parenteral therapy and drugs for management of emergencies are available.

 

Wound Care is Carried Out by a Trained Nurse

Home visits are done at a nominal fee for the population of Rattanapitiya on request.

 

Physiotherapy Services

An infra red lamp, parallel bars, heat pads, climbing frames and an ultra sound machine and an Electro wave 5000 are available at the physiotherapy unit. A qualified physiotherapist provides services on a regular basis. The services are available free of charge for the elderly and are funded partly by Helpage Lanka.

 

Medical Laboratory Services

The investigations are done at a low cost considering the community’s economical status. Basic investigations such as Full Blood Count, Urine Full Report, ESR, Blood Sugar estimations and Lipid Profiles are done.