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Remembering “Walloops”: Father of Cardiology in SL – By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana Source:Island The pioneering Cardiologist Dr Narendradas Jayaratnam Wallooppillai, affectionately referred to as “Walloops” by his friends, who succumbed to heart failure on 6th January 2011, surely deserves the title ‘The Father of Cardiology in Sri Lanka’ because it was during his tenure that Cardiology came to its own as a speciality. However, he was not the first to head the Cardiology Unit of the General hospital, Colombo. That distinction goes to Dr Ivor Obeysekara who, in spite of fighting against all odds to establish a dedicated Cardiology Unit, took early retirement and left for Australia. Dr Obeysrekara’s tenure was short, not having sufficient time to develop the speciality, the Cardiology Unit functioning as a Cardiology ward during his time. Dr Wallooppillai was born on 6th June 1925, to the wealthy and influential Velupillai family which settled in Balangoda thanks ...