The prize is open to all medical officers holding an appointment in anaesthesiology both local and overseas. The competition is held every year as a part of annual academic congress of the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists of Sri Lanka with the prize being awarded at the inauguration ceremony of annual academic congress of the following year.

Abstracts would be called for in late May or June, each year.


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This prize is awarded in memory of
Dr. Ratnasabapathy Sashidaran
MD (Sri Lanka), FFARCS (Ire), FRCA (UK)

Dr.Ratnasabapathy Sashidaran was a Consultant Anaesthetist with a special interest in Obstetrics and Regional Anaesthesia. He was appointed Consultant Anaesthetist to Barts and the London NHS Trust in 1996.


He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo Sri Lanka in 1983. Following his preliminary training in anaesthetics in Sri Lanka he migrated to the United Kingdom and completed his training as a registrar in anaesthesiology at Whittington Hospital, London and subsequently at Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.


He was a dedicated teacher and trainer and was a mentor to many post graduate trainees both local and overseas. He held the posts of College Tutor and Deputy Regional Advisor for Barts and London School of anaesthesia and was a primary examiner for the Royal College of Anaesthetists, United Kingdom. He was appointed as Bernard Johnson Advisor in postgraduate anaesthetic studies for overseas trainees to the Royal College of Anaesthetists in October 2008.


He was one of the most sought out resource personnel at the annual academic sessions of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Sri Lanka and at the biannual SARCA conference held in South Asia. He conducted many pre and post congress workshops of varied themes during these sessions.


He was awarded the Dr. B.S Perera oration in 2008 and delivered on the topic “Misunderstandings, Miscommunications or Malpractice?”


For being a devoted and true friend to his family, friends and colleagues and to the yeomen service that he rendered to the country, his trainees whom he mentored inaugurated the Rathnasabapathy Sashidaran prize for the best free paper and best poster presentation, which is open to all medical officers holding an appointment in anaesthesiology both local and overseas and is presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists of Sri Lanka.