The newly upgraded Dr. Neville Fernando Memorial Air Force Hospital in Malabe, renovated with the contribution of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was officially inaugurated today (November 9).
The hospital was declared open following an invitation extended by Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe. The event featured the unveiling of the commemorative plaque, followed by an inspection tour of the hospital premises.
This initiative follows the approval of a joint Cabinet paper presented alongside President and Minister of Defence Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Replacing the temporary management structure that had been in place since its acquisition in 2017, the hospital now operates under a new hybrid framework where ownership is held by a company fully owned by the General Treasury, while the daily operations have been entrusted to the Sri Lanka Air Force.
It was highlighted that this step serves as an ideal example of the government’s programme to optimally utilize unused and underutilized state property for public benefit. Through this new setup, the Sri Lanka Air Force fulfills its need for a dedicated hospital for its personnel while offering a solution to the shortage of tertiary healthcare services for nearly 5 million people in the Colombo and Gampaha districts.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, Member of Parliament Asitha Niroshana, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Goonetileke, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, Swarnamali Fernando (wife of the late Dr. Neville Fernando), Air Force Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Lasitha Sumanawera, and Chief Executive Officer of the hospital Air Commodore Niluka Abeysekara, along with former Air Force Commanders, Board Members, senior officers and hospital staff. (Newswire)