A Physician with a Purpose
by K.S.Sivakumaran
There is a physician by name Dr.S.Sivathas attached to the Mental Hospital, Angoda. He is in
charge of two units there. A Graduate from the University of Yaalpaanam, Sivathas has a
purpose as far as his profession is concerned:
To remove stigmas that one would have against the mentally disabled and also to restore
dignity in the patients and give expressions to their creative talents. This has remarkably
achieved: lsst Sunday (December 30, 2007) he had an exhibition of the photographs he has
taken of the unfortunate patients of his in his hospital.
Before I come to the exhibition which was held at the Kolumbu Thamil Sangam top floor
situated in Wellawatta, let me tell something about Dr S.Sivathas through another authority.
The authority is Prof. Daya Somasundaram. He is a respected specialist in Psychiatry who
heads the Department of Psychiatry, University of Yaalpaanam. This what he says about
Dr.S. Sivathas:
“Dr.Sivathas is a dedicated and skilled psychiatrist. That is to say he has mastered the art of
diagnosing and the managing mental illness as well as having the inherent motivation to help
people suffering from psychological distress. But in addition to all this, he has the rare
creative sense, the rare ability to look at life from an artistic perspective, to express himself
through poetry, art forms and photography…”
May I also quote some other authority? He is the President of Sri Lanka College of
Psychiatrists – Dr Harischandra Gambheera. What does he say?
“The beauty of life of mentally ill is not entirely lost. The mental illness has not destroyed the
whole person for ever but only a few facets of life amongst many and temporary. How they
see the beauty of the world through their eyes is reflected in arts they create. Understanding
those creations is peeking at the world through their eyes. Siva makes our task easy by
bringing it to life through his lens and adding the lost beauty.”
Angoda: through my lens, the photographs is a book of album of photographs taken by Dr
Sivathas himself. They are penetrating studies of the inner personality of the patients not
losing their integrity. I was amazed seeing the artistic and studied art of photography at the
exhibition. The book itself contains all the photographs exhibited.
The book has sections on Animals and Birds, Flowers and Leaves, Treatment and Care,
Expression and Emotion, Action and Motion, Corridor and Architecture, Art and Painting.
Although the photographs of Nature in it splendour are beautiful and aesthetic, what attracted
me most was the sections on other subjects.
Mere words of description would not do. You must view the photographs yourself. One way of
doing it is to get a copy of the classic publication in colour running to more than 115 pages.
You may contact the Doctor who is an Artist of distinction on 0773420538
What I also enjoyed are the quotes that the photographer has used. Some samples:
A Poem is never finished, only abandoned
Act decidedly and take the consequences, No good is ever done by hesitation
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; Optimist sees the opportunity in every
difficulty
Life is the art of drawing, without an eraser
Life is a comedy for those who think. And a tragedy for those who feel
The mind in its own place and in itself can make heaven of hell and a hell of heaven
Success is what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get
Our life is what our thoughts make it
Mental health is a process of dedication to reality at all cost- Dr Scott Peck
Mankind cannot bear very much reality –T.S.Eliot
What is Dr S.Sivathas trying to do in is profession?
Says he:
“My task was not to portray Angoda as a health resort or to attract every towards Angoda.
Even though intellectually I am not in favour of an institutionalized mental health care, my
fervent hope is that a tertiary care hospital is need of the day.
“Angoda, the word itself carries a stigma. Mental illness is not considered in par with other
chronic illnesses due to the social stigma and therefore neglected and ignored.
“These experiences were registered in my camera within the premises of the mental hospital
in Angoda. The main aim and the purpose of this endeavour is to neutralize the stigma and to
create an insight about mental illness and to enlighten the positive aspect of therapeutic
options for these illness”
Among those that appreciated the noble task of Dr S Sivathas are: Prof Diyanath
Samarasinghe, Dr Jasyan Mendis, British High Commissioner Dominic Chilcott, A L H M
Ibrahim, Dr Neil Fernando, Sujeewa de Silva, Dr Sirimal Galbada Arachige, Prof R Cheran,
Kohila Mahendran, Anura Shrinath, and S.K.Vigneswaran.
This book is published by Poobalasingam Book Depot,
202, 340, Sea Street, Colombo 11.
Contact: sivakumaranks@yahoo.com
by K.S.Sivakumaran
There is a physician by name Dr.S.Sivathas attached to the Mental Hospital, Angoda. He is in
charge of two units there. A Graduate from the University of Yaalpaanam, Sivathas has a
purpose as far as his profession is concerned:
To remove stigmas that one would have against the mentally disabled and also to restore
dignity in the patients and give expressions to their creative talents. This has remarkably
achieved: lsst Sunday (December 30, 2007) he had an exhibition of the photographs he has
taken of the unfortunate patients of his in his hospital.
Before I come to the exhibition which was held at the Kolumbu Thamil Sangam top floor
situated in Wellawatta, let me tell something about Dr S.Sivathas through another authority.
The authority is Prof. Daya Somasundaram. He is a respected specialist in Psychiatry who
heads the Department of Psychiatry, University of Yaalpaanam. This what he says about
Dr.S. Sivathas:
“Dr.Sivathas is a dedicated and skilled psychiatrist. That is to say he has mastered the art of
diagnosing and the managing mental illness as well as having the inherent motivation to help
people suffering from psychological distress. But in addition to all this, he has the rare
creative sense, the rare ability to look at life from an artistic perspective, to express himself
through poetry, art forms and photography…”
May I also quote some other authority? He is the President of Sri Lanka College of
Psychiatrists – Dr Harischandra Gambheera. What does he say?
“The beauty of life of mentally ill is not entirely lost. The mental illness has not destroyed the
whole person for ever but only a few facets of life amongst many and temporary. How they
see the beauty of the world through their eyes is reflected in arts they create. Understanding
those creations is peeking at the world through their eyes. Siva makes our task easy by
bringing it to life through his lens and adding the lost beauty.”
Angoda: through my lens, the photographs is a book of album of photographs taken by Dr
Sivathas himself. They are penetrating studies of the inner personality of the patients not
losing their integrity. I was amazed seeing the artistic and studied art of photography at the
exhibition. The book itself contains all the photographs exhibited.
The book has sections on Animals and Birds, Flowers and Leaves, Treatment and Care,
Expression and Emotion, Action and Motion, Corridor and Architecture, Art and Painting.
Although the photographs of Nature in it splendour are beautiful and aesthetic, what attracted
me most was the sections on other subjects.
Mere words of description would not do. You must view the photographs yourself. One way of
doing it is to get a copy of the classic publication in colour running to more than 115 pages.
You may contact the Doctor who is an Artist of distinction on 0773420538
What I also enjoyed are the quotes that the photographer has used. Some samples:
A Poem is never finished, only abandoned
Act decidedly and take the consequences, No good is ever done by hesitation
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; Optimist sees the opportunity in every
difficulty
Life is the art of drawing, without an eraser
Life is a comedy for those who think. And a tragedy for those who feel
The mind in its own place and in itself can make heaven of hell and a hell of heaven
Success is what you want; Happiness is wanting what you get
Our life is what our thoughts make it
Mental health is a process of dedication to reality at all cost- Dr Scott Peck
Mankind cannot bear very much reality –T.S.Eliot
What is Dr S.Sivathas trying to do in is profession?
Says he:
“My task was not to portray Angoda as a health resort or to attract every towards Angoda.
Even though intellectually I am not in favour of an institutionalized mental health care, my
fervent hope is that a tertiary care hospital is need of the day.
“Angoda, the word itself carries a stigma. Mental illness is not considered in par with other
chronic illnesses due to the social stigma and therefore neglected and ignored.
“These experiences were registered in my camera within the premises of the mental hospital
in Angoda. The main aim and the purpose of this endeavour is to neutralize the stigma and to
create an insight about mental illness and to enlighten the positive aspect of therapeutic
options for these illness”
Among those that appreciated the noble task of Dr S Sivathas are: Prof Diyanath
Samarasinghe, Dr Jasyan Mendis, British High Commissioner Dominic Chilcott, A L H M
Ibrahim, Dr Neil Fernando, Sujeewa de Silva, Dr Sirimal Galbada Arachige, Prof R Cheran,
Kohila Mahendran, Anura Shrinath, and S.K.Vigneswaran.
This book is published by Poobalasingam Book Depot,
202, 340, Sea Street, Colombo 11.
Contact: sivakumaranks@yahoo.com