Dr Pamathy Gnanaselvam has won Best Women Achiever Award

Dr Pamathy Gnanaselvam has won Best Women Achiever Award
"From
Fields to the Scalpel"
Dr.
Pamathy Gnanaselvam
MBBS,
MD (Surgery), MRCS, FMAS
First
Female General Surgeon in Batticaloa District | First Female HBP Surgeon in Sri
Lanka
Dr.
Pamathy Gnanaselvam is a pioneering Sri Lankan surgeon, educator, and community
leader whose extraordinary journey from hardship to healing continues to
inspire thousands across the nation.
She
was born in Ampilanthurai, Kokkaddicholai, Batticaloa, a rural farming village
in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The third of four sisters and a brother,
she grew up in a home marked by poverty, hardship, and an alcoholic father.
From a young age, she worked in the fields alongside her father and took on
various small jobs to help support her family—often surviving on just one meal
a day.
Despite
the harsh conditions and limited educational resources—having no access to a
school for Grade 11 and no private tuition up to the Ordinary Level—Pamathy
studied on her own. With the help of generous individuals who believed in her
potential, she completed her Advanced Level studies and earned admission to the
Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna, becoming the first student
from her divisional secretariat area to be selected to a medical faculty.
While
excelling academically, she also pursued her passion for sports, representing
Kathiravan Sports Club in running, long jump, javelin throw, volleyball, and
the traditional Tamil sport Ellai. She remained active in athletics throughout
medical school.
She
earned her MBBS, then advanced to complete MD in Surgery-Colombo, Membership of
the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS-England), and Fellowship in Minimal Access
Surgery (FMAS-India). She also underwent two years of postgraduate surgical
training in the United Kingdom, gaining exposure to advanced global practices.
Dr.
Pamathy broke historic ground by becoming the first female General Surgeon in
Batticaloa District and later the first female Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HBP)
Surgeon in Sri Lanka, a prestigious and demanding surgical specialty. She is
highly skilled in open and laparoscopy surgeries and continues to serve
patients with precision and compassion.
In
addition to her clinical work, she is an active researcher with multiple
medical publications to her name. She dedicates herself to teaching
undergraduate and postgraduate students, nursing students, and regularly
conducts workshops for healthcare staff across the region to strengthen local
medical education.
Beyond
medicine, Dr. Pamathy is passionate about supporting student education,
especially for the underprivileged, and works to encourage female education and
reading culture in her community.
A
lover of reading and solo travel, she has explored eight European
countries—France, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Spain, and Greece—during her training in the UK, gaining perspective and
inspiration from around the world.
Dr.
Pamathy Gnanaselvam’s story is one of unshakable determination, excellence in
service, and lifelong commitment to uplifting others. From the fields of
Ampilanthurai to the surgical theatres of Sri Lanka, she continues to be a
symbol of strength, hope, and change.
Professional
summary
Dr.
Pamathy Gnanaselvam began her medical career with an internship at General
Hospital Badulla in 2003. She then served as a Medical Officer in Anaesthesia
at General Hospital Trincomalee for three years. In 2009, she commenced
surgical training, progressing to Registrar at Teaching Hospital Kandy and
later Senior Registrar at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo.
She
was subsequently appointed as a Consultant Surgeon and has served at several
major institutions, including the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (Colombo),
Teaching Hospital Batticaloa, and Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura. She is
currently practicing as a Consultant Surgeon at Base Hospital Kaluwanchikudy.

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