The Chief Medical Physicist of Ceylinco Healthcare Services Limited (CHSL) recently completed overseas training in Milan, Italy, on the latest techniques in radiation therapy planning, becoming the third staffer of the Company’s Radiation Treatment Centre to undergo overseas training over the course of two months.
The training programme attended by Mr Samantha Gunawardena was hosted by Varian Medical Systems International AG, a global leader in Radiation Oncology, and was connected with CHSL’s recent acquisition of a new hi-precision Clinac® iX linear accelerator from the company.
The five-day programme titled ‘Varian Applied Physics: Advanced RapidArc Planning Course’ aimed to provide medical physicists with the training to approach and plan radiation treatment for complex cases with RapidArc technologies. It covered practical aspects and included extensive planning sessions with in-class training as well as practical sessions at the Humanitas Hospital in Milan, Italy.
Mr Samantha Gunawardena has been a Medical Physicist for 25 years contributing to both the public and private sector of Sri Lanka. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Kelaniya and an MSc in Medical Physics from the Post Graduate Institute of Science of the University of Peradeniya.
The provider of the most experienced and affordable private cancer treatment in Sri Lanka’s private sector, CHSL operates two state-of-the-art radiation treatment centres, the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre and the Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre which have successfully administered radiation therapy to over 5,000 patients over the past decade. The two centres are estimated to generate a saving of US$ 500,000 in foreign exchange per year by providing treatment facilities that match those offered by regional and international centres. Ceylinco Healthcare Services also owns and operates the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.