Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Malitha Halpe is a Family Physician and Lecturer in Family Medicine. His work focuses on transforming primary care delivery through system innovation, health equity, and compassionate practice.


No Space, No Excuses: A Hospital That Thinks Beyond Itself

No Space, No Excuses: A Hospital That Thinks Beyond Itself

By: Dr Shane Halpe Batticaloa Teaching Hospital sits in the middle of a busy town—surrounded by roads, markets, schools, and the restless rhythm of everyday life. It is a place where ambulances arrive with breathless urgency, where families sit on benches holding reports and hope, where staff move quickly because delay has consequences. And yet, as Dr Mythily Barthelot—Deputy Director of the hospital—says with striking simplicity, the biggest challenge is not always the most dramatic one.


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

The Heart of the East: How Sri Sathya Sai’s Karuna Nilayam Hospital Is Healing Batticaloa and Beyond

The Heart of the East: How Sri Sathya Sai’s Karuna Nilayam Hospital Is Healing Batticaloa and Beyond

In the gently sunlit plains south of Batticaloa, where plantations and paddy fields meet the sea breeze, we found ourselves on the dusty road toward Kirankulam. It was a drive of about thirty minutes — through the bustling lanes of Kattankudy, past roadside stalls and temple bells — before the noise faded into rural serenity. And there, seemingly out of nowhere, rose the Sanjeevani Hospital. As we pulled up to the entrance, one sign caught our eye: “All patients are seen free of charge.” Opposi


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

The Baby Drought: Subfertility and the Struggle for New Life in Northern Sri Lanka
Opening of the first subfertility clinic and IVF center in Kilinochchi—a milestone in reproductive healthcare for Northern Sri Lanka.

The Baby Drought: Subfertility and the Struggle for New Life in Northern Sri Lanka

At Kilinochchi District General Hospital, something significant was happening without much fanfare. Dr. Sivalingarajah Raguraman—a consultant obstetrician who teaches at the University of Jaffna and graduated from there himself—was at the center of it all. He's the kind of person who doesn't need to announce his presence in a room, but you notice him anyway. Tall, thoughtful, with the quiet confidence of someone who knows his purpose. They were opening a subfertility clinic and IVF center—the f


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

Bringing Stroke Care Home: A Quiet Revolution in Post-Conflict Jaffna

Bringing Stroke Care Home: A Quiet Revolution in Post-Conflict Jaffna

When I began my Family Medicine training in 2022 as a Registrar, I moved between clinics, hospital wards, community camps, and even patients’ homes. These journeys gave me a front-row seat to the deep inequalities within Sri Lanka’s healthcare system—nowhere more visible than in stroke care. In the government sector, stroke treatment is still woefully inadequate. Time is critical in managing stroke, yet delays in diagnosis and intervention are far too common. I’ve watched stroke survivors—many


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe

Healing in Jaffna: What the North Taught a Southern Doctor About Empathy

Healing in Jaffna: What the North Taught a Southern Doctor About Empathy

Kondavil: A Masterclass in Compassionate Care When I first stepped into the Family Health Center (FHC) in Kondavil, Jaffna, I had no idea that this quiet, unassuming facility in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province would become one of the most formative classrooms of my career. It quickly revealed itself as a living model of what a family health center should be across the island. As a family physician from Wattala, I arrived with curiosity, humility, and not a word of Tamil. But what I lacked in lan


Dr. Shane Halpe

Dr. Shane Halpe