Carlo Fonseka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlo Fonseka
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| කාලෝ ෆොන්සේකා | |
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| Born | March 4, 1933 |
| Died | September 2, 2019 (aged 86) Colombo
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| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Alma mater | Maris Stella College, Negombo St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10 University of Ceylon University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Title | President, Sri Lanka Medical Council. |
| Term | January 2012 – June 2017 |
| Predecessor | Lalitha Mendis |
| Political party | Lanka Sama Samaja Party |
Carlo Fonseka (born March 4, 1933 – died September 2, 2019) was an important person from Sri Lanka. He was a doctor, a university teacher, and someone who worked for social change. He was once the head (dean) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. He also led the Sri Lanka Medical Council, which is like a main group for doctors in Sri Lanka.
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Carlo Fonseka's Early Life
Carlo Fonseka was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 4, 1933. His family was Roman Catholic. He went to school at Maris Stella College and St. Joseph's College, Colombo.
After school, he joined the medical school at the University of Ceylon in 1955. He studied hard and graduated in 1960. He earned a special degree called MBBS, which means he was ready to be a doctor.
Carlo Fonseka's Career
After becoming a doctor, Carlo Fonseka worked at the Colombo General Hospital. He was an intern, which is like a doctor in training. Later, he worked as a medical officer in a hospital near his home village.
In 1962, he started teaching at the University of Ceylon. He taught in the Department of Physiology. Physiology is the study of how the human body works.
Studying for His Ph.D.
To learn even more, Carlo Fonseka went to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 1964. He studied there to get his Ph.D. A Ph.D. is a very high university degree. He finished his studies and got his Ph.D. in 1966.
Teaching and Leading Universities
Carlo Fonseka came back to the University of Ceylon in 1967. He became a professor there from 1982 to 1989. A professor is a senior university teacher.
In 1989, a private medical school became part of the government. It was renamed the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. Carlo Fonseka became its first dean. A dean is like the head of a university department or faculty. He was the dean until 1997.
He also led the Board of Management for the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine. This is where doctors go to study even more after their first degree. He was appointed an "emeritus professor" by two universities. This is an honor given to retired professors who were very important.
Leading the Sri Lanka Medical Council
In 2012, Carlo Fonseka was chosen to be the president of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). This council makes sure that doctors in Sri Lanka are well-trained and follow rules.
Some students were not happy about his appointment. They thought politics might have played a role. He was supposed to leave his job in 2016, but his term was extended. He finally resigned in June 2017.
Working for Social Change
Carlo Fonseka was also a strong member of a political party called the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He was part of their main leadership groups.
He often spoke out against private medical schools. He believed that medical education should be available to everyone, not just those who could pay. He was very critical of a private medical school called SAITM. After leaving the SLMC, he said he would continue to fight against SAITM.
Other Achievements
Carlo Fonseka received another degree, a Master of Arts (M.A.), in 1999. He was also a member of several important medical groups.
He served as the head of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka. He also led the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol. This group works to reduce smoking and drinking. In 2012, he received an award for his work on World No Tobacco Day.
Carlo Fonseka was also a talented writer and composer of songs. He released several music albums. Some of his albums include Carlochita Gee (1992) and Raththaran Duwe (2006).
Images for kids
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Professor Carlo Fonseka
