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“MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR A HEALTHIER TOMORROW”
MEDKEL 2016, Medical Exhibition organized by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya was held from 23rd to 29th September at the Faculty premises. The Faculty, which has held an exhibition once in every 5 years since its 10th Anniversary, organized MEDKEL 2016 as part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations. Staff and students alike worked tirelessly to make the event perhaps the biggest medical exhibition in Sri Lankan history.
The main objective of MEDKEL 2016 was to educate school children and other members of the public about the most common diseases in the country, thereby encouraging the general public to prevent illnesses like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Chronic Kidney Diseases and Heart Diseases, through life style modification, rather than seeking medical treatment later.
The exhibition was organized in a way that would set it apart from a “traditional” medical exhibition. The premises were divided into six zones. The Growth, Development and Reproductive Health Zone aimed to present knowledge on the human life cycle with special attention to diseases associated with in each stage of life. The Trauma Zone gave wide knowledge on household accidents, poisonous animals and plants, precautions for accidents and the best way to respond to various emergencies. The Mental Health Zone mainly addressed mental wellbeing and strategies that could be adopted to face common challenges to it. The Communicable Diseases Zone was dedicated to educate the public on practical ways to identify, prevent and to be protected from pathological agents such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. The Non-Communicable Diseases Zone was popular among the public and it provided knowledge on diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney diseases and cancers. A Special Zone was organized for the public to witness modern medical education with holograms, 3D animations, virtual reality experiences and leap motion techniques.
This year’s exhibition, which was themed “Medical Knowledge for a Healthier Tomorrow” was attended by more than 100,000 viewers from all over the country, over the course of 7 days. An opening ceremony held at 8.30 am each morning, was graced by several distinguished invitees, starting with Prof Mohan de Silva, Chairman of the University Grants Commission and Prof Sunanda Madduma Bandara, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya on the 1st day.
