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Dr Pamathy Gnanaselvam has won Best Women Achiever Award

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.

 

Dr Pamathy Gnanaselvam  has won Best Women Achiever Award

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