Some friendships begin in the most unexpected circumstances. Ours began sometime in 1978, at a seminar organised by our college on the famous Sinhala film “Gahanu Lamai”.
I had stayed back after school, eager to have the opportunity to interact with some of the distinguished personalities associated with the film, Mr Karunasena Jayalath, Mrs Sumithra Peiris Dr Lester James Peries and, in particular, the two young actors, our own Ajith Jinadasa and Vasanthi Chathurani. Everything went well and, as I took my seat, I found another enthusiastic young boy sitting beside me. We soon started talking about the film, its actors and the seminar. Little did I realise then that this simple conversation would mark the beginning of a friendship that has endured for nearly five decades.
During our school days, we would often meet during intervals and walk along the corridors lined with the 56 notice boards of our many societies. Although we were in the same grade, with 15 classes of 42 students each, around 630 students in total, becoming closely acquainted was not always easy, unless one happened to be a particularly well-known figure in school.
He was a hosteller, Dushmantha Chiranji Rajapakse, whom we simply called “DC.”
Born on 28 September 1963 in Kegalle, DC initially studied at Kegalle Maha Vidyalaya. After successfully passing the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, he entered Ananda College. From the age of ten, he became a hosteller.
Both his parents were school principals, and perhaps that background contributed to the discipline and sense of responsibility that would later become such defining qualities of his life.
He was a brilliant basketball player and represented Ananda College in both the Under-15 All-Island Championship team and the Under-17 team. He was also one of the more colourful and mischievous characters of our generation. During our hostel days, he and his friends would occasionally find their way to the Maradana cinemas, particularly whenever a much-awaited film was released. Sometimes they were caught by the hostel warden, Mr. Lionel Mendis, and had to face the consequences. Yet, beneath that mischievous exterior was an exceptionally talented and determined young man.
When the GCE Advanced Level results were announced, DC was among the top ten performers in the entire island.
He chose the University of Peradeniya rather than Colombo, partly because two of his elder sisters were already studying there one in Dental Sciences and the other in the Science Faculty.
There was yet another beautiful and almost magical connection between our two families, one that seemed to be woven by destiny itself.
When my eldest sister entered the University of Peradeniya, by sheer coincidence, her roommate at Ramanathan Hall happened to be none other than DC’s elder sister.
As fate would have it, my sister found her life companion from the Engineering Faculty, and, in another wonderful twist of destiny, his best friend became DC’s sister’s life partner. The two couples eventually got married, and the story became even more remarkable when all four of them joined the local Government service.
But the coincidences did not end there. They went on to build their own nests on the very same lane and, remarkably, the two best friends even carried the same surname.
At Peradeniya, DC was a true live wire of the Batch of ’82. His enthusiasm, energy, sense of responsibility and, above all, his natural leadership qualities quickly made him stand out among his peers. He was elected as a student representative to the Main Student Council, earning the confidence and respect of his fellow students. He was never a bookworm in the conventional sense. His talent was different. He knew when it was time to enjoy life and when it was time to work and when examinations approached, he would work with tremendous determination.
He also never abandoned his passion for basketball. Even while pursuing medicine, he continued playing and was eventually awarded University Colours for Basketball.
His university education was interrupted by the turbulent period of 1986–89, but he persevered and graduated in 1990 with Honours.
His internship at Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital exposed him to an enormous workload. There were days when the admissions were so heavy that he barely had time even for lunch.
His first appointment thereafter was at the Urology Clinic of the National Hospital, Colombo, under Consultant Urologist Dr. Lakshman Attygalle. In those days, there were only a handful of consultants in Urology, resulting in enormous numbers of patients and operations.
He subsequently gained experience in Cardiology, Paediatrics and Accident Wards, while continuing his postgraduate education. He completed his MSc and, in 1997, his Master of Philosophy (MPhil). In 2000, after completing his postgraduate studies, he returned to Sri Lanka as a highly qualified surgeon.
His professional journey took him to Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Horana and Matara before he returned to the National Hospital in Colombo in 2011.
Wherever he served, he was known for his willingness to take on difficult cases. Trauma, accidents, emergencies and complicated surgical situations never frightened him. In fact, these were precisely the challenges that attracted him.
One of the most remarkable chapters of DC’s professional life was his voluntary service to the armed forces during the country’s long and brutal conflict.
He volunteered to serve as a Consultant Surgeon at the Military Hospital in Jaffna from 1993 to 2006. He also served as a Consultant Surgeon in the Sri Lanka Navy Volunteer Force too.
His contribution during some of the country’s darkest and most demanding moments is difficult to adequately describe.
On 31 January 1996, a devastating truck exploded at Central Bank in Colombo, more than 90 people were killed and over 1,400 were injured. For approximately two and a half continuous days, without meaningful rest, he worked alongside his colleagues treating the injured.
When the Army captured Mannar in 1999 and required a surgeon to serve at the Mannar Hospital, DC volunteered.
During the fierce Muhamalai offensive in 2006, when more than 176 security forces personnel were killed and over 500 wounded, DC once again found himself in the middle of an extraordinarily demanding situation.
For three continuous days, under extremely limited facilities, in a thick jungle environment and makeshift operating theatres, he and his team treated wounded soldiers. There were no comfortable hospital surroundings. There were no sophisticated facilities.
There were hanging saline bottles suspended from sticks and trees, makeshift operating areas and the most basic conditions imaginable. DC survived on little more than biscuits and cups of tea while continuing to treat the wounded, often without sleep. For him, the suffering soldier in front of him was all that mattered.
Earlier, when two Avro aircraft were shot down by the LTTE within two consecutive days in April 1995, killing almost 100 onboard, many were understandably frightened to fly to Palaly.
DC volunteered to take the next flight. That simple act tells us much about him. Not because he considered himself fearless, but because his professional duty and concern for those who needed him were greater than his own fears. During the final phase of the conflict, as troops advanced towards their objectives, the wounded were evacuated to rear medical facilities. There, DC and his fellow surgeons and medical teams worked relentlessly to save lives and return injured soldiers.
DC was one of those doctors. He served not for recognition, publicity or personal glory. He served because someone had to be there.
Perhaps the most beautiful measure of a person’s character is not how he behaves in moments of glory, but how he treats ordinary people whom he has no obligation to remember.
During his hostel days, after basketball practices or late-night studies, he and his friends would sometimes approach the hostel kitchen area strictly out of bounds for students.
The hostel barber cum backer, David Aiya, had a sympathy for these hungry young boys. He would sometimes keep a few extra plates hidden beneath the tables for DC and his friends. Years later, when DC had become a Consultant Surgeon, he happened to meet David Aiya at a hospital corridor. David Aiya mentioned that he was still coming for clinics from college hostel. From that day onwards, he ensured that David Aiya received special attention, not merely medically, but also with whatever financial assistance he could provide. That gesture says more about DC than any professional title ever could. He remembered a plate of dhal curry and half a loaf of bread from his hostel days. He remembered the person who had shown him kindness when he was a hosteller.
In June 2021, when DC was serving as Senior Consultant at Kalutara Nagoda Hospital, Sri Lanka was facing one of its most difficult periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital urgently required High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) devices and oxygen cylinders to support critically ill patients and upgrade its ICU facilities. DC approached our 81’ classmates’ group. Under the able leadership of Neel Weerasinghe and Umesh Ranawaka, our group and several well-wishers raised more than Rs. 5.3 million and provided the urgently needed medical equipment to Kalutara Nagoda Hospital. It was another example of DC’s ability to bring people together not for himself, but for the benefit of patients who desperately needed help.
DC met his life partner, Dr. Nandika, at the National Hospital in Colombo, and said “I do” on 1st of Dec, 1995. She is a cardiologist and is presently based at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada. They are blessed with two sons, elder Dilum, is pursuing a career in Respiratory Medicine in Vancouver, while their younger son, Ruchith, is a Mechanical Engineer working at a nuclear power plant in Toronto.
Today, DC continues to serve as a Senior Consultant at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, carrying out his professional responsibilities with the same dedication that has characterised his entire career.
Looking back, what stands out most is not simply the number of operations he has performed, the qualifications he has earned, the hospitals in which he has served, or the battlefronts he has attended; above all, it is his unwavering dedication, commitment and humanity.
It is the manner in which he has lived his profession.
He has served the sick and wounded with courage.
He has served soldiers in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
He has worked through nights without sleep.
He has entered places where others were afraid to go.
He has performed surgeries with limited facilities.
He has faced emergencies without hesitation.
And yet, despite all these achievements, DC remains remarkably humble, modest and low-profile. In Badulla Hospital Dr. DC removed a remarkable 1.5 kg bladder stone, reportedly the largest at the time. Yet, he declined all media publicity. That was Dr. DC’s simplicity.
He has never been one to seek the limelight.
He does not need publicity to validate his contribution.
His patients, his colleagues, the soldiers he treated, and the countless families whose loved ones survived because of his intervention are his greatest testimonials.
There is an old belief in medicine that saving a life depends on both the patient’s fortune and the doctor’s skill, knowledge and competence. DC has always understood that responsibility, but perhaps there is something more. A good doctor treats a patient. A great doctor saves a life. But an exceptional human being gives hope, courage and dignity to another human being when they need it most. That is where DC stands apart.
From the mischievous hosteller roaming the corridors of Ananda College, the brilliant basketball player and student leader, to the highly respected Consultant Surgeon who stood beside wounded soldiers on the battlefield, DC’s journey has been extraordinary. Yet, through it all, the essence of the man has never changed.
He remains our same simple, friendly, approachable and humble DC.
His life is a testament to professional excellence without arrogance, courage without bravado, leadership without ego, and service without expectation of reward.
A true gentleman.
A courageous surgeon.
A selfless servant.
And above all, a remarkable human being.
DC, you have repaid your debt to Mother Sri Lanka many times over, through a lifetime of courage, compassion and selfless service.
