CHSL’s Jayantha Gunaratne receives training in Switzerland

Jayantha Gunaratne (Back row, 2nd from right) with participants of the training programme in Switzerland

Ceylinco Healthcare Services Limited (CHSL) recently sent Jayantha Gunaratne, a medical physicist at its Radiation Treatment Centre, for a training programme in Switzerland, arranged by Varian Medical Systems International AG, a global leader in Radiation Oncology.

Gunaratne’s training follows the commissioning in December last year of a new hi-precision Clinac iX linear accelerator to treat cancer patients at CHSL’s the Radiation Treatment Centre. The new linear accelerator was supplied by Varian Medical Systems.

Titled ‘Varian Advanced Techniques Physics IMRT/RapidArc,’ the training programme was conducted over four days and included classroom lectures and on-site training at the Municipal Hospital Triemli, Switzerland. The course was designed to provide training for medical physicists responsible for the initial system commissioning and configuration of Varian’s Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) techniques.

The aim of this course was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the treatment technique process, quality assurance tasks and treatment planning strategies, so that attendees will be able to implement IMRT/RapidArc and Portal Dosimetry in their clinical routines, the company said.

“We have invested in state-of-the-art equipment for radiation therapy to enable Sri Lankans to receive the most advanced treatments available, in their own country,” CHSL Chairman R. Renganathan said. “As the private sector’s centre of excellence in radiation treatment, we also require our physicists and technicians to undergo world class training that can enable them to maximise the benefits of the equipment.” Jayantha Gunaratne has been a medical physicist at CHSL for the past 11 years. He previously worked as a Scientific Officer at the Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka, for a decade. Gunaratne holds a B.Sc. (Special) Degree in Physics from the University of Peradeniya, and a M.Sc. in Medical Physics from the Post Graduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Radiation Protection from the National University of Malaysia.

With more than 7,400 linear accelerators installed around the world, of which nearly 200 are operating in India, Varian Medical Systems has extensive global and regional experience in radiation oncology. The Varian Clinac iX linear accelerator houses a range of capabilities that not only streamline the treatment process, but also expand possibilities for clinics.

The treatment facilities offered by the company are estimated to generate a saving of US$500,000 in foreign exchange per year. Besides its two radiation treatment units - the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Centre and the Ceylinco TomoTherapy Centre, Ceylinco Healthcare Services owns and operates the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, offering comprehensive screening, diagnostic services and medical care.