PB Fernando

Who is PB Fernando?

Panagodage Bertram Fernando LMS MBBS, MD FRCP DTM&H OBE is First Professor of Medicine Ceylon Medical College and Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo. Fernando was educated like Marcus Fernando at St. Benedict's College, Colombo. He was awarded a Government scholarship to the Ceylon Medical College in 1918 and qualified with L.M.S. in 1923. In 1930 he attended University College Hospital, London, M.B. B.S. and obtaining MRCP in 1932 and the diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene. He was awarded an M.D. in 1951, and elected F.R.C.P. in 1952, the first Ceylonese to be awarded that distinction.

He returned to Sri Lanka to serve as visiting physician General Hospital, Colombo and visiting paediatrician at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. In 1936 he was appointed the first professor of medicine at the Ceylon Medical College continuing as Professor of Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine when the Medical College became part of the newly established University of Ceylon in 1942 till his retirement in 1959.

Professor Fernando in addition to his reputation as a clinician published research papers on childhood tuberculosis, ascariasis in children, nutritional disorders in childhood, rheumatic heart disease, liver diseases and coronary atherosclerosis and ischaemic heart disease in Ceylon.