FERCAP conference at Waters Edge

The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), the University of Colombo and the National Science Foundation have taken the leadership in promoting the protection of patients taking part in medical research in Sri Lanka by jointly hosting the 12th International Conference of the Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (FERCAP) at the Waters Edge Hotel, Colombo, from November 18 to 21.

Over 400 delegates from 104 of the leading hospitals and medical universities in the Asia Pacific region will meet to discuss how patient protection can be done in a manner that promotes development and advancement of medical sciences while taking into account social and cultural values of people of different backgrounds living in different parts of the world.

SLMA President Prof. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake, who was instrumental in ensuring that Sri Lanka won the right to host the conference, said that it is a great honour for the country to host this conference given the long tradition of medicine in Sri Lanka.

According to the Mahavamsa, the ancient chronicle of Sinhalese royalty, written in the sixth century A.D., King Pandukabhaya (437 BC to 367 BC) had lying-in-homes and hospitals (Sivikasotthi-Sala) built in various parts of the country. This is the earliest documentary evidence we have of institutions specifically dedicated to the care of the sick anywhere in the world. The hospital built by King Sena II (852- 887 AC) in Mihintale, is the oldest in the world. Ruins of ancient hospitals in Sri Lanka are still in existence in Mihintale, Anuradhapura and Medirigiriya in the North Central Province. Prof. Arjuna Aluwihara of the University of Peradeniya will be making a keynote presentation on ‘Contextual Lessons from Surgical Archaeology’ highlighting the implications of the knowledge of our forefathers on modern medical research, a press release said.

Given this background, FERCAP Chairperson Prof. Kenji Hiriyam said that Sri Lanka is the most appropriate place to host this conference on the theme ‘Development, Development, Ethnicity, Culture and Ethical Health Research’.

Sri Lanka’s pioneering contribution to medicine in the modern era comes in the form of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, established in 1870. It is considered the undisputed matriarch of medical education in the country. It has been a leader in medical training and research not only in this country but also in Asia. At 142 years, it is one of the oldest medical schools anywhere in Asia and Australasia.

The Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty, established in 1981, is one of the first research ethics review committees to be established anywhere in the region. It was also the first Ethics Review Committee in Sri Lanka to receive recognition under the SIDCER programme of the World Health Organization in 2009.

The conference is being held in Sri Lanka at a very important time when the country is looking at rapid economic development through investment in research and development. In that background, developing the necessary human resources and infrastructure to conduct research in an ethical manner is very important.

This conference will go a long way towards human resources development to build capacity for research ethics review in the country. Therefore, the conference is expected to have a positive impact on the country’s research and development agenda which is highlighted by the National Science Foundation joining hands as co-host with the SLMA and the University of Colombo.

Further information about the conference can be obtained from the website http://www.slma2012.com/ FERCAP