The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLAMC) (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා යුද හමුදා වෛද්ය බලකාය Shri Lanka Yuddha Hamuda Vayidya Balakaya) is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which specializes in military medicine and provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 4 regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters. The corps Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius. General officers and senior officers of the SLMC wear gorget patches of maroon rather than of scarlet worn by other officers of similar rank.[1]
History
Ceylon Medical Corps war grave, Newington Cemetery, Edinburgh
The origins of the corps dates back to 29 July 1881 when a stretcher bearer company was raised as a part of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers, which evolved into the Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps (CVMC) of the Ceylon Defence Force serving in both world wars. With Ceylon gaining self rule in 1948 and the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the CVMC became a part of the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force with Lt. Col. Sydney Jayawardene was the first Commanding Officer. In October 1950 the Ceylon Army Medical Corps (CAMC) was formed in the regular force of the Ceylon Army, with 3 medical officers, and 20 other ranks drawn from the wartime CVMC, under the command of Major H. C. Serasinghe. The CAMC established a 10-bed Medical Reception Station (MRS) at the General Military Hospital, Colombo operated by the Royal Army Medical Corps, which was later upgraded to a 50-bed service hospital in 1952. In 1961 a MRS were setup at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa. The first Regiment, CAMC was formed in 1965 and the CVMC became the 2nd (Volunteer) Regiment, CAMC with its personal serving during the 1971 JVP insurrection. The corps was renamed once again in 1972 as the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps when Sri Lanka became a republic. With the onset of the Sri Lankan Civil War military base hospitals were established at the Palaly Military Base and at the Panagoda Cantonment in 1985. The Directorate of Army Medical Service was established in 1985. In 1997, a military base hospital was established in Anuradhapura. With civil war intensifying in the 1980s and 1990s the SLMC was expanded and deployed support combat operations and the high number of casualties.[2]
Hospitals
Since all three armed forces and the police maintain their medical services with their own hospitals, the corp is only responsible for maintaining and operating army medical facilities mainly focused on treatment of battle casualties. Apart from medical reception stations in almost all military stations these include;
