Focus on brain health and brain drain View(s):ASN President on integrated neurology for transformative outcomesBy Kumudini HettiarachchiIt was not only brain health but also humanity to the fore as the 19th Annual Congress of the Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists (ASN) was inaugurated in Colombo on Friday evening with eminent experts in attendance. An MRI of the brain, however, revealed a glioblastoma – an aggressive brain tumour which needed urgent neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Moving onto brain drain, Dr Keshavaraj said that over the last 19 years, ASN has grown to 81 Life Members, with 61 (78%) serving locally. Of the 91 Associate Members, only 38 remain in Sri Lanka, creating the highest rate of brain drain of neurologists. “Therefore, the Sri Lankan odyssey in paediatric epilepsy surgery serves as a global blueprint for medical advancement in developing nations.

Source: Sunday Times March 01, 2026 03:19 UTC