The Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM), founded in 2010 by the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists of Sri Lanka, highlights the emergence of pain management as a crucial speciality within anaesthesia. With its inception, the FPM has shown remarkable growth, driven by the dedication of anaesthetists, holding in its 11th annual Academic Sessions in 2023. This reflects its dedication to setting and maintaining the highest standards in pain management and fostering education across all healthcare sectors.
Pain medicine's origins as a speciality for treating chronic and cancer-related pain trace back to the 1960s and 1970s. The development of pain services in Sri Lanka began in the late 1970s and 1980s with pioneers like Dr. R. Vamadevan and Dr. Sylviya Perera at the Colombo General Hospital. This evolved with the establishment of a pain clinic and an in-patient pain relief service at the Government Cancer Hospital (now Apeksha Hospital) in 1998, marking a significant advancement with connections facilitated with the Royal Marsden Hospital, UK.
The National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) further expanded pain management services with the establishment of a dedicated Pain Management Unit (PMU) in 2013, which has become a fully equipped centre under the leadership of Consultant Anaesthetist Dr. Samitha Jayawickrama. This unit has played a pivotal role in providing comprehensive care and serving as a primary training centre for pain management in Sri Lanka.
An integral part of the FPM’s achievement is the expansion of pain management services across the nation. Pain clinics and units have been set up in several hospitals, including Apeksha Hospital Maharagama, Teaching Hospitals in Ragama, Kandy, Peradeniya, Galle, and Kalubowila, and a dedicated pain unit at the Army Hospital, Narahenpita. These clinics cater to a wide spectrum of pain conditions, offering multidisciplinary care and significantly contributing to the improvement of pain management services throughout the country.
Education and training have been central to the FPM's efforts, with initiatives like the Essential Pain Management (EPM) program introduced in 2014 and the development of a postgraduate training curriculum in pain medicine. Additionally, in 2019, a certificate course for nurses in pain management was launched, aimed at developing specialist nursing officers and establishing pain teams under consultant anaesthetists' supervision, thus enhancing pain management services nationwide.
Public education efforts, including participation in the annual Medicare Exhibition, further the FPM's goal of raising awareness and understanding of pain management among the public. With active involvement in both national and international forums and its affiliation with the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), the FPM continues to advance pain medicine in Sri Lanka and beyond, illustrating a comprehensive approach to improving pain management across multiple healthcare facilities and professional training programs.