Malabe Air Force hospital opens under new management framework

The Dr Neville Fernando Memorial Air Force Hospital in Malabe was officially opened on November 9 after being upgraded with the participation of the Sri Lanka Air Force. A commemorative plaque was unveiled and attendees inspected the hospital premises.

A new hybrid management framework replaces the temporary structure in place since the hospital was taken over in 2017. Ownership of the hospital will rest with an entity fully owned by the General Treasury, while day-to-day operations will be handled by the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The move follows approval of a Cabinet paper submitted together with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is also Minister of Defence. It is cited as an example of the government's programme of putting unused or underused state property to work for the public good.

The arrangement also fulfils the need for a dedicated hospital for Air Force personnel, while helping to ease the shortage of tertiary healthcare services for around five million people living in the Colombo and Gampaha districts. The opening ceremony, held at the invitation of Air Force Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, was attended by defence sector officials and hospital staff.