Young Doctor Representative 2021 - 2023
Dr Sankha Randenikumara (Sri Lanka)
Dr. Sankha Randenikumara is a Family Physician and GP Educator from Sri Lanka. He currently serves as the Honorary Secretary of the WONCA South Asia Region and of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka (CGPSL). He is the Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health and the Co-chair of the WONCA Special Interest Group on Policy Advocacy.
Sankha’s involvement with WONCA began at the WONCA South Asia Regional Conference 2016 in Sri Lanka, where he served as Social Secretary of the Host Organising Committee. He was elected Regional Chair of ‘The Spice Route Movement’ (the WONCA Young Doctors’ Movement for South Asia) in 2019. Under his leadership, The Spice Route became one of the most active and cohesive YDMs, strengthening the engagement of young family doctors across the region. He was subsequently elected as the WONCA Young Doctors’ Lead in 2021, representing young doctors globally and contributing to the WONCA Executive Committee until 2023. In recognition of his contributions to global primary care leadership, he was awarded the WONCA Montegut Global Scholarship for the South Asia Region in 2025.
Graduating from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo, in 2012, Sankha began his career as a rural primary care physician in southern Sri Lanka. Through his leadership, his under-resourced rural hospital was transformed into an award-winning primary care facility, later recognised by the World Bank as a model primary care hospital in Sri Lanka. He was subsequently appointed, as the youngest member, to the Expert Committee that developed the World Bank’s national project, Reorganising Primary Health Care in Sri Lanka. He obtained his Membership of the College of General Practitioners (MCGP) in 2019 and Fellowship (FCGPSL) in 2025. As a GP Trainer and Mentor, he has contributed to the CGPSL in multiple leadership and academic roles.
Within the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), he has served as the Honorary Secretary of the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Task Force since its inception and was the founder of the SLMA Young Members’ Forum (2021), creating a platform for young medical professionals. He also served as Regional Vice President (Central Asia) of the Commonwealth Medical Association (2020-2022).
Sankha’s research interests include Family Medicine, Planetary Health, Lifestyle Medicine, Mental Health, Palliative Care, and Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety. He was the recipient of the Taiwan Family Medicine Research Award (2018) and has delivered numerous invited lectures and orations at international and national conferences. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to several book chapters. He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (Environment and Health stream) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Beyond medicine, he has pursued postgraduate studies in archaeology, exploring the relationships between ancient healing traditions, cultural practices, and holistic concepts of health. His interdisciplinary work integrates insights from history, culture, and the environment, enriching his broader perspective on planetary health and human well-being.
Outside his professional commitments, Sankha enjoys reading, acting, birdwatching, and visiting archaeological and heritage sites across Sri Lanka and beyond.