Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLMC) is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of two regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters. The corps Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius.

History
The beginnings of the Corp goes back 29th July 1881 when stretcher beater company was initially raised as a part of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers, this soon became the Ceylon Medical Corps (CMC) later becoming part of the Ceylon Defence Force. Soon after the disbandment of the Ceylon Defence Force after independence, Ceylon Medical Corps became the Ceylon Medical Corps volunteers as part of the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force with Lt. Col Sydney Jayawardene was the first Commanding Officer. But in October 1950 Ceylon Army Medical Corps in the Regular Force of the Ceylon Army was created. At its start it had 3 Officers and 20 Other Ranks were drawn from the wartime CMC.Lt. Col H.C Serasighe OBE was the first Commanding Officer of the Regular Medical Corps. That year a 10 bedded camp reception station was opened at the former British Military Hospital of the Royal Army Medical Corps, shortly it was upgraded to a 30 – bedded service hospital. The corps was renamed once again in 1972 as the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps when Sri Lanka became a republic.

The corps has served the in under different circumstances in its post-independence history. It had assisted civil medical services during natural disasters and taken over opeartions of national & provincial hospitals when its doctors and staff goes on stick. The corps has treated battle casualties and has it self received casualties when its personal come under attack during combat opeartions in the 1971 Insurrection and Sri Lankan Civil War.

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;


 * Military Hospitals in
 * Colombo
 * Anuradhapura


 * Base Hospitals in
 * Panagoda Cantonment
 * Diyathalawa Garrison
 * Palaly Military Base
 * Ampara Military Base

Regular Army

 * 1st Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
 * 3rd Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
 * Sri lanka Army Military School Of Nursing

Volunteers

 * 2nd(V) Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps

Trades/Careers
Officer Careers:
 * Doctor (Medical Officer)
 * Dentist
 * Medical Support Officer
 * Physiotherapist
 * Pharmacist

Soldier Trades:
 * Nurse
 * Dental Nurse
 * Dental Hygienist
 * Clinical Physiologist
 * Combat Medical Technician
 * Operating Department Practitioner
 * Pharmacy Assistant
 * Laboratory Technician
 * Radiographer

External links and sources

 * Sri Lanka Army
 * Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps