Logo

11 Facts About Seneka Bibile

1.

Seneka Bibile was the founder of Sri Lanka's drug policy, which was used as a model for development of policies based on rational pharmaceutical use in other countries as well by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Non-Aligned Movement.

2.

The Seneka Bibile family claimed descent from a 16th-century Vedda chieftain.

3.

Seneka Bibile received his primary and secondary education at Trinity College, Kandy.

4.

Seneka Bibile entered the Medical College in Colombo, where he had a brilliant career, winning the gold medals for medicine and surgery, and obtained a first class honours degree in 1945.

5.

Seneka Bibile's doctorate thesis was a study of biological assays of cortical hormone and their application.

6.

Seneka Bibile was the first dean of the faculty of medicine at the University of Peradeniya from 1967 to 1977.

7.

Seneka Bibile is best known for his advocacy of the government-controlled pharmaceutical purchasing plans often referred to as "rationalisation" of pharmaceuticals and the development of a national pharmaceuticals policy.

8.

Seneka Bibile played the leading role in developing a rational pharmaceutical policy aimed at ensuring that impoverished people would get reasonable drugs at a low price.

9.

Seneka Bibile was called up by the Minister of Health to address this and prepared the Ceylon Hospital Formulary of about 630 drugs under their generic names almost singlehandedly.

10.

Seneka Bibile was a Trotskyist and a member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, becoming Treasurer of its Youth Leagues.

11.

Seneka Bibile conducted study classes on Marxism at his house in Castle Street, Colombo.