Sir William Kynsey and the Development of Health Care in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The Portuguese (1505–1656), the Dutch (1656–17%) and the British (1796–1948) successively occupied Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Only the British succeeded in governing the entire country, while the jurisdiction of the other two western powers was limited to the maritime provinces only. The Portuguese and the Dutch were not concerned with the provision of medical care to the local population. It was really the British who created a new health care system in the country and popularized western medicine. The infrastructure that the British set up has endured to the present day. Sir William Kynsey (Figure 1) was the longest-serving head of the Civil Medical Department or its successors in Ceylon. He assumed office at a time when the health service was in its formative years, and the manner in which he shaped its direction has had a lasting impression on the health care system in the country. It is therefore rather strange that Kynsey's death should have gone unnoticed in the columns of both the British Medical Journal and the Lancet at the time. Even the now century-old Ceylon Medical Journal, which accorded him pride of place by carrying an article by him as the opening paper of its very first issue, made only passing reference to his death¹.