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However, due to relatively few medical officers continuing to remain in the public health sector, those who were trained were appointed as Medical Officers of Health, rather than as Regional Epidemiologists. With the introduction of Cholera El Tor in late 1973, and the decision to strengthen the epidemiological services in 1974, a Regional Epidemiologist was appointed to cover the two northern health divisions (Jaffna and Vavuniya), while the Colombo health division was covered by an Assistant Epidemiologist from the Epidemiological Unit. In addition to these three divisions, Kurunegala and Kandy already had Regional Epidemiologists. In the same year, the services were further expanded by one of the Assistant Epidemiologists being assigned non-communicable disease epidemiology. With the establishment of a separate Cancer Control Programme in 1980, this officer was appointed as its first Director and the Programme functioned as a separate Unit in the Ministry of Health. A Public Health Bacteriologist with postgraduate qualifications in bacteriology, as well as public health was appointed to the Unit in 1975. This officer, attached to the Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, worked as a member of the epidemiological team for outbreak investigations as well as for special studies. This post was not filled after the retirement of the officer in the early eighties.
In 1987 the Epidemiology Unit was shifted to the more spacious present place at 231, De Saram Place, Colombo 10. In 1995 the cadre of the Epidemiological Unit was revised and the total cadre of Medical Officers was increased to 13 (2 – Senior Administrative M.O., 8 – Specialists and 3 – Grade Medical Officers). From 1996 steps have been taken to fill the vacancies. However, due to non-availability of qualified Medical Specialist in this field. Several vacancies continued to exist. With the devolution of administrative powers to the provincial council in 1987 it was planned to appoint a Provincial Epidemiologist each to cover one province on phased basis.
In 1960, the Epidemiological Unit, commenced the publication of the Quarterly Epidemiological Bulletin. In the latter part of 1973, the Unit commenced publication of a Weekly Epidemiological Report with the objective of providing information on the cholera epidemic. This was later modified to provide a statement on the notifiable diseases based on information received from all Medical Officers of Health in the Weekly Report of Communicable Diseases. This system of a quick feedback, which was initially limited to health facilities in the Ministry of Health was gradually extended to others such as General Practitioners, Universities, etc.
In 1987, the Epidemiological Unit, commenced computerization of surveillance data with the assistance of WHO. The computer section was established in 1987 with the appointment of a Computer Programmer/System Analyst and Data Entry Operators. The necessary software and hardware were obtained with the assistance of WHO. The present computer system in the Epidemiological Unit has a file server with fifteen work stations connect to it and all Medical Officers has direct access to surveillance data.
The Epidemiological Unit also has e-mail and internet facilities for the Medical Officers working in the Unit. The name of Epidemiologists who severed as chief Epidemiologists in the Epidemiological unit from 1959 to 2000 are given below.
01. Dr P Arumainayagam . ....................................................................1959
– 1967
02.Dr N M P Mendis ...............................................................................1967
– 1976
03. Dr P U de la Motte ............................................................................1976
– 1980
04. Dr A V K V de Silva .........................................................................1980
– 1986
05. Dr R L de Sylva..................................................................................1986
– 1991
06. Dr (Mrs) W S Jayakuru ....................................................................1991
– 2000
07. Dr. T.A.Kulatilaka.............................................................................
2000 - 2003
08.Dr .M.R.N. Abeysinghe......................................................................2003
- up to Date
