Motor accidents have perhaps become the most common cause of death in recent years in Sri Lanka according to various researchers. In fact, six people die every day due to vehicular accidents and could there be a bigger cause than this for mortality in Sri Lanka? “Now all the roads are carpeted and vehicle movement has become much faster”, one could say. But, while finding all the reasons for these accidents, an estimate of the true cost to the human resource of the country would also be timely.
The fatal accident in Boralesgamuwa, which left the father dead and the mother and two children in hospital with severe injuries again brings to the limelight the spectre of vehicular accidents in the country. The deceased father of three, Ajantha Gamini Perera was a policeman and a boxer who represented Sri Lanka at several international boxing events.
His wife has been discharged after treatment and the younger son is still under critical treatment at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s hospital. Anupa, the eldest son of the family was a promising athlete, who captained the Thurstan College swimming team for two consecutive years is now under treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.
Anupa’s swimming coach shared memories of his athletic skills with the Sunday Observer. “Generally the college team selects a captain every year. But Anupa was exceptional. He captained the college team for two years in a row (2015 & 2016), simply because we didn’t have a swimmer of his calibre during both the years” said Coach L.V. Fernando.
Anupa had taken to swimming when he was seven years old, thus making the swimming pool, an essential part of his life. According to the coach, Anupa knew how to swim and the basics when he came to Thurstan College and all that coach had to do was to prepare him for competitions.
The 19 year old swimmer had always been an inspiration to younger players reminisced. “When he was there in the pool, he would have a friendly talk with all the juniors. In fact, he was the big brother to all the players.”
Even two days before the life changing accident, Anupa was in the Thurstan pool, practising with young swimmers for an upcoming water polo match. “When we heard about the accident we canceled the following day’s morning practices and visited him in the hospital.
He was conscious. ‘Coach did you finish practices before coming here?’ he asked on seeing me.” Anupa, who drove the car on that unfortunate day still doesn’t know that his father is no more. A close friend of his is at his bedside advising visitors not to say a word about his father. “It would have been unbearable pressure on him. He was such an emotional character. So, we just can’t stand seeing him lying on a bed like that” said Fernando.
Chamath, present swimming captain of Thurstan, also has fond memories of Anupa. “No doubt Anupa is the best swimmer we (Thurstan) ever produced. He was the only one who got selected to represent SAARC games from our college. Not just a fellow swimmer nor a captain, but he was more of a brother to me. We visited each others houses very often. His parents were also very close to me. They were amazing people” said Chamath.
Coach Fernando also had Anupa’s parents.
“Back then I was the coach of Ananda College and Anupa was coached as a private pupil by me. So, I used to organise swimming training at Peradeniya and my students at Ananda and private students all joined in these training sessions.”
The purpose of this training was to train young swimmers in extreme conditions, which is also a part of a comprehensive training. “ The journey from Colombo to Peradeniya was a trip to all of us. Anupa’s parents also joined us. His father was a wonderful man, very friendly and talkative. He had a well maintained body also. Therefore, when other parents heard about the accident they couldn’t even believe that he had passed away.” said Fernando.
“Neither of the children know that their father is no more. The eldest son and my brother were very close. They and were constantly together. They had a very close relationship.
He always asks about his father thinking he is alive. We have told him that my brother is alive but in a bad shape” said Rasika Gunawardena, a sister of Ajantha Perera. After hearing that his father is also critically injured, Anupa was constantly checking on his condition with Ajantha. He had once asked his relatives about taking his father abroad for further treatment.
“ Surgery was carried out on my brother’s eldest son. His leg is pretty bad. The youngest son has now regained his consciousness. His jaws, legs and arms have been severely damaged in the accident. He is the one in the worst condition”
According to Rasika, her sister-in- law despite being released from hospital cannot even walk ten feet without being aided. Her head suffered injuries and as a result she seems to be fainting constantly and feeling dizzy. As a result, the mother cannot be near her sons. The youngest is just eight years old and asks for his mother. Currently, an aunt of his is at his side taking care of him.
According to hospital sources one of Anupa’s legs is fractured in three places, resulting in the aspiring swimmer having to take a long break from the love of life, the swimming pool.
“What can we say. It is a difficult situation for us. Doctors say it will take months and even maybe years for these children to fully recover.
A family has been ruined. My brother had plans to send the eldest abroad for his studies. He was very good at swimming and loved it. We don’t know if these injuries have affected his talent and if he will be the same again” Rasika worried.
Meanwhile explaining the procedure at SLMC in the wake of a probable complaint to SLMC by the police, Dr. Chandana Atapattu, the acting registrar of SLMC told Sunday Observer that if there is any complaint produced before the Council, the next step would be to direct it to the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry of which the Vice President of the SLMC is the head.
“In most cases this Committee decides to conduct a brief investigation and then submit a report to the Professional Conduct Committee” he said. However, there is a recent dispute in terms of taking action further as President of the SLMC had to be the Chair of that Committee. The President’s post is vacant after the resignation of Prof. Colvin Gunaratna.