In a decisive move that marks a significant shift toward the militarization of state infrastructure, the day-to-day administration and operational control of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH) will be handed over to the Sri Lanka Air Force. This transition introduces a hybrid operational framework approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, positioning the military as the central management authority of a key healthcare facility. The decision signals a growing reliance on military discipline and logistics to stabilize and streamline crucial public sectors.
The operational restructuring is driven directly by high-level defense authorities. The Cabinet approved the framework based on a joint proposal submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, acting in his capacity as the Minister of Defence, alongside the Minister of Health and Mass Media. Under this arrangement, the physical assets of the hospital will be absorbed into a state enterprise wholly owned by the Treasury. However, the true command structure will rest upon a heavily militarized governance system, where the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence will recommend the members for the institution’s new 11-member Board of Directors.
This transition marks a departure from the civilian administrative framework that governed the facility for nearly a decade. The hospital’s operations were originally shifted to the Ministry of Health on August 1, 2017, following a prior Cabinet directive. By replacing civilian bureaucratic oversight with the operational command of the Air Force, the government seeks to enforce a strict institutional model designed to transition the facility into a self-sustaining entity.
The financial timeline established under this new command structure outlines a clear path toward independence. The Treasury is slated to fund all staff salaries and operational expenses from 2026 through 2028. After this three-year period of state backing, the military administration is expected to transform the hospital into a self-financing institution. To ensure free medical services remain available alongside fee-based treatments during this transition, the Ministry of Health will allocate Rs. 125 million annually for pharmaceuticals and medical consumables. The Air Force will face the critical task of balancing this public healthcare mandate with the demands of running a self-funded enterprise.