It is with great pride and responsibility that I present the vision of the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists for 2025/2026. Under the theme “Breathing New Life: Resilience, Innovation, and Equity in Respiratory Care,” we aim to strengthen resilience in our healthcare system, promote innovation, and ensure equitable access to respiratory care across the country.
Our mission remains focused on advancing respiratory medicine through education, training, research, and collaboration, while also fostering regional partnerships to enhance knowledge sharing and professional development. In the coming year, the College will embark on a number of initiatives including the development of strategic plans by each assembly, expansion of workshops, training programs, peripheral symposiums, and joint sessions with other medical disciplines. New directions will include the establishment of an advisory body for assemblies and taking forward discussions on the formation of the South Asian Lung Federation, a landmark initiative to promote collaboration, training, disease registries, and regionally relevant guideline development. A key priority this year will be laying the foundation for national registries on asthma, severe asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and interstitial lung disease, which will provide critical data for research and patient-centered care tailored to our population. These efforts reflect our commitment to addressing Sri Lanka’s current healthcare challenges, including recovery from economic crises, the need for resilient systems, equitable access to care, and the integration of digital health and sustainable practices. Our vision for this year is to lay a solid, foundation for the work that will contribute to the long-term development of respiratory medicine in Sri Lanka, ensuring better outcomes for our patients and strengthening our role in the South Asian region.
It is in this background that we wish to strive towards “Equity in Respiratory Health – for the right to breath free”. Sri Lanka is blessed with a system of free health care for all. However, recent economic challenges has augmented the gap between the range of services and therapeutics available within the government and private sector. It has been a true challenge to follow established, evidence based guidelines due to inequity of resources.
This year, I hope to uphold and value all the facets of the many responsibilities of the college as a professional body, being a voice, an advocate, for quality patient care, continuous medical education for all, improvement of services, uplifting undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, keeping in mind the goal of striving towards equity.
To achieve recognition both locally and internationally as the foremost experts enhancing superior patient care, advocacy, education, and professional satisfaction in the field of respiratory medicine in Sri Lanka
Dr Dilesha Wadasinghe, Dr Damith Rodrigo (Treasurer), Dr Sumana Handagala (Vice President), Dr Suresh De Silva (Assistant Treasurer), Dr Geethal Perera, Dr Amila Ratnapala, Dr Sujeewa Ilangamge, Dr Channa De Silva, Prof Duminda Yasaratne, Dr Wathsala Gunasinghe