Wednesday Sep 23, 2026
Wednesday Sep 23, 2026
Wednesday, 23 September 2026 05:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government is set to assume full ownership of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH), with the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) appointed to manage its day-to-day operations under a new hybrid framework approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said at the post-Cabinet meeting briefing yesterday.
The hospital and its assets will be transferred to a company wholly owned by the Treasury, while the SLAF will handle administration and daily operations, Jayatissa said.
The framework was approved based on a joint proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Defence Minister, and the Health and Mass Media Minister.
The proposed entity will be incorporated as a state enterprise under the Companies Act, with the Treasury holding all shares. An 11-member Board of Directors will be appointed by the Secretary to the Treasury on the recommendation of the Defence Ministry Secretary.
Under the financial arrangements, the Treasury will fund staff salaries and operational expenses from 2026 to 2028, after which the hospital is expected to become self-financing.
The hospital will offer both free and fee-based inpatient and outpatient services. To support free healthcare provision, the Health and Mass Media Ministry will supply pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and other consumables worth an estimated Rs. 125 million annually through its budgetary allocations.
The hospital’s administration was transferred to the Health and Mass Media Ministry with effect from 1 August 2017, following a Cabinet decision made on 27 June 2017.
