Professor Rezvi Sheriff

Rezvi Sheriff was born in Colombo, the son of Mohamed Hussain Sheriff. His early brilliance was evident during his schooling at Zahira College, which earned him a scholarship to Royal College Colombo. He entered the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Colombo, beginning a lifelong association with the institution. He graduated MB BS and later obtained his MD, proceeding to the United Kingdom for postgraduate training. There, he became a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London and Edinburgh, internalizing the rigorous clinical standards he would later instill in generations of Sri Lankan doctors.

Returning to Sri Lanka, Rezvi joined the Department of Medicine under Professor Kumaradasa Rajasuriya in 1973. At a time when renal failure was often a death sentence in the region, he displayed tireless resolve. In October 1985, alongside surgeon A.H. Sheriffdeen, he performed Sri Lanka’s first successful kidney transplant. This milestone was not merely a surgical feat but the foundation of a permanent national programme. By 2015, he had overseen nearly 1,000 transplants. His appointment as Professor of Medicine in 1990 and Senior Professor in 1998 reflected his standing as the pillar of the Colombo Medical School.

Rezvi’s influence extended far beyond the ward. He was a prolific researcher, particularly in nephrology, snake bites, and toxicology, ranking among the country’s most cited scientists. He served as Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine and held the presidency of almost every major medical body in the country, including the Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Ceylon College of Physicians. His reach was international; he was a councillor for the International Society of Nephrology and a founding president of the SAARC Society of Nephrology. Rezvi was an External Examiner for MRCP in UK & Chennai. He was the Ceylon College of Physicians Coordinator for MRCP Examinations in Sri Lanka. He has contributed to books such as ‘Oxford Textbook of Medicine’ & ‘Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine’. In recognition of his Herculean contributions to medicine, the Government of Sri Lanka conferred upon him the title of Vidya Jyothi in 1993.

A man of deep faith and community spirit, Rezvi founded the Western Hospital (Western Infirmary), ensuring a dedicated center for renal care. Even in "retirement," he continued to serve as Senior Professor at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. His final years showed his characteristic resilience; having spent a career saving the kidneys of others, he himself underwent a transplant in 2022.

He is remembered by his colleagues, students, and those who engaged in community service with him, as a mentor of immense compassion who balanced professional excellence with community values. He is survived by his wife Ameena, after 50 years of marriage, his eldest son and only daughter, and six grandchildren; he was predeceased by his youngest son. 

Rikaz Sheriff