At the WONCA World Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 4, Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene was awarded the Fellowship of WONCA, the first Sri Lankan to receive the highest honour of WONCA at an impressive award ceremony.
The Fellowship of WONCA, the most prestigious award, is awarded to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the WONCA Organisation, and to Family Medicine globally.
WONCA is the world organisation of family physicians with a membership of nearly 150 countries.
Dr. Athukoralage Don Asoka Preethiraj Wijegoonewardene, a well-known family physician in Colombo, and a son of late Paediatrician, Dr. A.D.P.A. Wijegoonewardene, is involved in teaching Family Medicine to undergraduates and postgraduates for over 25 years. He was the President, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) in 2002, President, College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka (CGPSL) (2004 – 2007), President of WONCA – MESAR (Middle-East South Asia Region) (2007 – 2010), and President of WONCA South Asia from 2010 to 2013. He is the Patron of the South Asia Primary Care Research Network (SAPCRN), and the current Chair of the MRCGP (Int) – South Asia Board, and also the Chair of the MCGP Board of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka.He is widely acclaimed as a leader in Family Medicine in the South Asian region and a teacher of repute in the speciality of Family Medicine.