History of Sri Lanka Society of Gastroenterology

The inception of the society can be traced back to 1965, when the first flexible gastroscope was donated to the country by Prof Komei Nakayama, a giant in the field. Further advancements were made due to the untiring efforts of two pioneers in the field, Dr. Nihal Markus (physician) and Prof Dayasiri Fernando (surgeon), which resulted in the steady growth of the fields of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy.

The SLSG was subsequently accepted and elected to the governing councils of both the Asia Pacific Society of Gastroenterology and the Asia Pacific Society of Digestive Endoscopy. A few years later in 1996, the Society was rewarded with the decision of the governing councils to hold a mini congress of the Asia Pacific in Sri Lanka.

The speciality of Gastroenterology (Surgical) was approved for training by the Postgraduate Institute in Medicine (PGIM) in 1990, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Dayasiri Fernando. In 1999, due to the untiring efforts of Prof. Janaka de Silva, Medical Gastroenterology was also recognized as a medical subspecialty. This paved the way for a new era for society as well as for the fields of Gastroenterology and Hepatology on the island.