Dr Kasun Gunawardena from Sri Lanka spent two years in the Greenock hospital making a massive impact on colleagues and patients.

He has now stepped in to lead an eye camp in his home country, leading a team which carried out 257 procedures in a single day – without any complications.

The Tele told two years ago how the young doctor, who trained at the IRH, had gone home to help improve medical advances, as well as working for a charity to help those in the greatest need.

(Image: contributed)

Mentor and retired consultant Dr David Mansfield, who worked in the department for 25 years and who sponsored Dr Kasun to come and work in Greenock, hailed his achievements.

Mr Mansfield said: “The ‘eye camp’ was truly astonishing. He personally did 257 cataract operations in one day between 5am and 10.30pm.

“I am told the previous world record was 196.

“He is remembered by IRH staff and patients as one of the nicest, kindest people they ever met.”

The retired consultant, who sponsored Dr Kasun to come to the IRH, says that the feat was all the more impressive because of the challenges Dr Kasun would have faced.

He added: “Across Britain there has been a move towards high-throughput cataract surgery, but what Kasun achieved is literally an order of magnitude better than surgeons do here. Many British consultants are still doing only half a dozen cataracts in a half-day session.

“Moreover, Sri Lankan patients usually have really dense cataracts, so surgery is harder. His achievement is clearly phenomenal.

Dr Kanu Gunawardena at a previous surgery  (Image: contributed)

“It would challenge anyone to find superlatives sufficient to describe his work.

“His patients paid nothing for their operations. Kasun was supported by the Sri Lankan government, by private donors, by hospital staff and by friends.

“He is keen to acknowledge the huge amount of work done by the whole team with the pre- and post-operative care of the patients, and with the logistics.”

The former IRH doctor, who now works at the Kuliyapitiya Teaching Hospital, stepped up after a lack of essential ophthalmic equipment had led to a backlog of cases.

He highlighted in Sri Lanka that it was team effort made possible by charities like Assist Resettlement and Renaissance UK, which provides educational, healthcare and livelihood support to the people affected by the war in Sri Lanka

Two years ago, Dr Kasun told the Tele that he was inspired by his time at the IRH and said working under Dr Mansfield was one of the best  times of his life. 

The dad-of-two, who is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, came to the IRH to work during the Covid pandemic.