It was with great interest that I have read various anecdotes regarding Sir John Kotelawala reminisced by readers of The Island newspaper.

I wish to recall on unforgettable encounter I had with Sir John when I was a junior post intern house officer at the Cardiology unit of the General Hospital Colombo, Sir John was admitted to the Cardiology unit in mid 1976 with a complaint of chest pain in the late evening. I was the house officer on-call that night. Sir John sat upright majestically in a wheel chair as he was wheeled in to the cardiology unit. I explained to him that I was the doctor on duty at that time and proceeded to question him regarding his complaint.

Sir John bellowed "You you slip of a girl, are you going to treat me?". "Yes Sir" I replied. I must admit that I was dressed in a frock without the doctors’ overcoat which no doctor wore during that period. However, he accepted my authority when I confidently told him that I was the only duty doctor at that time and assured him that I would do everything to bring him back to normal. Subsequently, I contacted the Consultant Cardiologist on duty regarding his condition and carried out his instructions accordingly, much to the satisfaction of Sir John. At no time did he insist that the Consultant Cardiologist should come to see him in the night, which a lesser politician would have insisted upon.

Around 7pm, he wanted a cup of meat soup. I regretfully informed him that we could not obtain soup from the hospital kitchen at that time. He then insisted that his home made soup should be brought to him from Ratmalana and sent the driver to fetch it. When the soup was brought, he suddenly remembered the quinine tablets which he took regularly for his leg cramps. When he asked us to provide him the quinine tablets, I had to regretfully inform him that there were no quinine tablets in the cardiology unit. Without batting at eyelid, he promptly ordered his driver to go back again to Ratmalana to collect his quinine tablets!

I vividly recall Sir John as a gentleman, who made an indelible impression on me as a fearless man who sat erect and majestically in the wheel chair with his head held high a man who certainly was not frightened to die.