Surgeon who did an operation on an animal which caused damage to his vehicle

Surgeon who did an operation on an animal which caused damage to his vehicle

An incident had taken place in Ekala some days back where a calf         fleeing from a dog in fright had accidentally knocked against the vehicle of a surgeon of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital when the doctor was on his way to attend the wedding ceremony of a relative. On this occasion the calf had collapsed and shouted in agony. The doctor who disregarded the loss sustained and the journey which he was making

had on the other hand got down from the vehicle and had carried out a surgery on the injured animal with the aid of tools and wire which he could lay his hands on at that time.

After this benevolent act he has been able to hand over the animal to its rightful owner. A brother of this doctor had reported this incident to the social media in the following manner: "This incident took pl ace on 04/03/2017. My brother and surgeon Dr. Ranil Pamod de Alwis of Maharagama Cancer Hospital was to leave home to attend the homecoming ceremony of his wife's sister and so set off at about 8.30 that morning from Welisara to Kurunegala in his vehicle. He gave me a telephone call around 9 in the morning and said "a bull got knocked against the car in Ekala ... if possible come". When I went there it was about 9.30 and when I was proceeding along the Kurunegala 05 bus route at Ekala Madama Junction about 300 metres towards Minuwangoda what I saw was a big traffic congestion with a crowd rallying around. I went to the spot and I could see my brother engaged in a surgery on this animal. Even by that time much of the task was already completed.

What those who were eye witnesses to this accident said was that a dog was pursuing this heifer and the animal who became frightened had made a fast run on to the main road and just then it had knocked against my brother's car. Even at the time I had gone there the female owner of the heifer was present there and she appeared to be an aged woman who was poor. What eye witnesses said was that soon after the accident took place my brother had halted the car and coming to the scene had with the support of those who were there removed the animal from the road. Because of both fore legs of the animal had struck the bonnet of the car, a bone of one of the legs was damaged and broken and was protruding. Even at the time I had gone there my brother had put the bone back in order and was in the process of applying stitches on that part. A technician of the Colombo National Hospital who had seen the accident had hastened to come to the spot and had gone to fetch the medicine and surgical instruments necessary by going to Ja Ela and had provided assistance in that instance and apart from that a certain gentleman closeby at an electric workshop too extended his support.

In the end, after a successful operation the owner of the animal took the animal away by conveying her merit and blessings. It was after that that my brother informed the Insurance people about the vehicle and it was then that he saw the damage sustained by his vehicle too. A part of the engine was damaged in a manner that the car could no longer be activated. After that, it was loaded into a lorry and taken to a garage. What is important here is that even though this accident happened without any fault of the person concerned and leaving aside the point of right and wrong he had without giving thought to his vehicle or without thinking of the journey he was involved in had instead dedicated himself to the initial task of saving the life of the animal.

"My brother you who gave your knowledge of surgery to humans and beasts alike ... I have no words to say. Finally, what I have to say is that even if possessing Rs. 120 lakhs, one cannot be an affable person; but one should possess the quality of Metta which could be bestowed on all human and animal posterity which goes beyond that".

(Asanga Ranil de Alwis)