Dr (Ms.) HIMALI WIJESINGHE

We visited Dr. Himali at Ave Maria Hospital, Negombo, during the 11:30 a.m. session with our one day old newborn baby. We sought medical advice because our baby had a fever, cried continuously after feeding, and seemed very uncomfortable. At the beginning of the consultation, the doctor asked which hospital had discharged our baby and told us that we should consult the doctor from that hospital instead. We then explained our baby’s symptoms and our concerns. Unfortunately, we found the doctor’s communication to be rude and dismissive. She said, “හලෝ, මේ මේ මේ ළමයි එහෙම තමයි. තනියමද ආවේ? ආව නම් එක්කෙනෙක් එක්කන් එන්න. මිඩ්වයිෆ් ආවේ නැද්ද? ගෙන්න ගන්න.” As first-time parents who were genuinely worried about our newborn, we found these comments upsetting. I explained that the baby’s mother had accompanied us and that I had just taken her outside the room. The doctor told us that there was nothing wrong with our baby and that the issue was related to the feeding technique. She demonstrated the correct way to feed the baby, and we appreciated that guidance. However, because our baby continued to show the same symptoms, we sought a second opinion later that day from a pediatrician at Hemas Hospital. After examining our baby, the pediatrician recommended further tests and identified the underlying medical issue. Based on our personal experience, we were disappointed with this consultation. As new parents, we were looking for reassurance and a thorough assessment of our newborn’s condition. While this was only our experience and others may have different experiences, we would not personally choose this doctor a for our child’s care.