Jayam Wijayaratnam’s legacy lives on in gift of 100-bed cancer hospital

Yogeswari Wijayaratnam cuts the ribbon at the Jayam Wijayaratnam Cancer Care Centre flanked by Jayam Wijayaratnam Fund Trustees Kavan Ratnayaka and Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy

• Wife Yogeswari hands over purpose-built facility designed by architect Anjalendran to Ministry of Health 

A 100-bed, purpose-built cancer hospital was gifted to the people of Sri Lanka today in a poignant tribute to the memory and legacy of philanthropy of one of Negombo’s most-loved former citizens – the late Jayam Wijayaratnam, a former Deputy Mayor and a third-generation businessman of the coastal metropolis.

The Jayam Wijayaratnam Cancer Care Centre (JWCCC) designed by the legendary architect Anjalendran and constructed under the supervision of the renowned engineer Deepal Wickramasinghe, was formally handed over to the Ministry of Health by Yogeswari Wijayaratnam, who embarked on the project after her husband’s demise in 2013.

Inspired by the concept of the UK charity Maggie’s which operates a network of centres that offer professional support, bringing people together in a calm, friendly and uplifting space; the Jayam Wijayaratnam Centre built in close proximity to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, is designed in line with the belief that light, colour and a connection to nature can help people feel better. A spacious courtyard and wide airy verandahs make it calming and welcoming, a place to escape from the clinical environment of a hospital.

Following its handing over to the Ministry of Health, the fully-furnished JWCCC will operate as part of the Oncology Department of the Ragama Hospital. Directly accessible from the hospital, it will be equipped and staffed by the Oncology Department, with Dr. Sujeewa Siyambalapitiya, the Consultant Oncologist at the Ragama Hospital, in overall charge of the facility. 

The main building of the Jayam Wijayaratnam Cancer Care Centre accommodates 100 beds. An ancillary wing to be completed shortly will be the nurses’ and staff quarters. Built on an acre of land provided by the Government, the Centre is supported by laboratory facilities, patient screening areas, offices, nurses’ and doctors’ rest rooms, and a prayer room. 

The Centre has an auditorium for the conduct of cancer awareness programs and lectures, a pharmacy and a special ward for terminally ill patients which will allow a family member to reside with a patient in the much-needed serenity, care and comfort of a care home with glimpses and views of the nature that surrounds them.

The management of the JWCCC project was undertaken by the Jayam Wijayaratnam Fund, the Trustees of which are Yogeswari Wijayaratnam, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy and Kavan Ratnayaka. In proceeding with the project, Mrs Wijayaratnam was fulfilling a wish of her husband, who had wanted to build a cancer hospital in his area after observing the travails of people who had to travel to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital for treatment. With adequate space not being available in Negombo, Ragama was chosen as the location for the Centre. Jayam Wijayaratnam and Yogeswari studied the physical sciences at their respective universities. Yogeswari completed her London BSc degree education and later taught at Bishop’s College Colombo. Jayam was compelled to cut short his university education after the death of his father, a former Mayor of Negombo, to take over the family business that included a desiccated coconut mill. He later became the President of the DC Millers Association of Sri Lanka. An alumnus of Royal College Colombo, Jayam was a member of the college First XV rugby team that played for the Bradby Shield under the captaincy of the late C.V. Gooneratne. 

Three generations of Wijeyartnams have lived in Negombo and are known for their commitment to philanthropy. Jayam Wijayaratnam supported the local community with numerous donations to temples, kovils and churches and by sponsoring the breakfast meals of Daham Pasal students for many years.