Nawaloka Hospitals celebrates 34 pioneering years of healthcare excellence

Sri Lanka’s foremost private healthcare provider, Nawaloka Hospitals, recently celebrated a 34-year legacy at the pinnacle of the Sri Lankan healthcare sector. 

Founded by Deshamanya H.K. Dharmadasa in 1985, Nawaloka Hospitals was built around a simple but powerful ethos: ‘Arogya Parama Laabha’ (Good health is supreme wealth). Deshamanya Dharmadasa was determined to create a legacy that would share such supreme wealth with as many Sri Lankans as possible for generations to come.  

Established as the first fully-fledged private healthcare provider in Sri Lanka to offer tertiary healthcare solutions, Nawaloka Hospitals was founded at a time when the healthcare space in the country was dominated by the state service. The hospital offered an affordable alternative to those who had previously been left to seek specialised treatment outside the country, and eventually expand this offering to all Sri Lankans. 

Under the visionary leadership of the group’s Chairman, Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, Nawaloka sought to differentiate by emulating the success of reputed hospitals in the Asian region; offering a strategic combination of advanced medical technology and expert medical care. Since then, the group has consistently set the benchmark for excellence in healthcare both in Sri Lanka and across the South Asian region. 

It has proudly pioneered the introduction of several advanced technology developments in the country, elevating the quality and accuracy of diagnostics. These include state-of-the-art CT, MRI scanners, a mammography unit, and a cardiac catheterisation lab, all of which were firsts in Sri Lanka; the first coronary artery bypass unit in a private hospital; Fibroscan, the first non-invasive way of checking liver health in Sri Lanka; and a prominent highlight would be the introduction South Asia’s first 640 slice CT scanner. 

These strategic introductions coupled with the hospital’s highly professional and passionate medical and non-medical staff, garnered Nawaloka both local and international recognition. In 1998, it had the honour of becoming the only hospital in Sri Lanka to win the National Quality Award, kick-starting years of exemplary recognition with respect to its sustainable business practices, CSR, and reporting. 

In 2000, Nawaloka became the first hospital in Sri Lanka to be accredited with ISO certifications. The group is also the first and only private healthcare service provider to have earned the coveted ‘baby friendly’ status from the World Health Organisation. With its continuing expansion, the group listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2004. 

Staying true to its initial vision of sharing the gift of good health with all Sri Lankans, Nawaloka Hospitals has since expanded beyond the confines of its primary hospital in the centre of Colombo, having since established state-of-the-art healthcare facilities in Negombo in 2014 and a fully-equipped Medicare Centre in Gampaha in 2017.

Today, Nawaloka Hospitals employs a team of over 500 expert consultants of unparalleled proficiency from the full spectrum of clinical disciplines. They are joined by an indomitable, qualified panel of the finest nurses in the country; trained at Nawaloka’s own fully-fledged Nurse Training School.

“Our journey of healing began in Colombo with the launch of the country’s first private hospital to offer tertiary care services. Over the years, Nawaloka has earned international recognition for its highly skilled medical talent and world class infrastructure that enable it to deliver clinical outcomes that compare with the best institutions in the world at an affordable cost. Our unwavering commitment to patients has been the reason behind the group’s success,” Nawaloka Hospitals Chairman Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa stated. 

Over the recent past, with the hospital’s continuous expansion, and rising demand for its services, Nawaloka established a Specialist Centre with a mega multi-storey car park, a supermarket, an entire spectrum of laboratory and diagnostic services, multiple pharmacies, a bank, a cafeteria and ample open spaces. Designed with modular channel areas for added privacy, the Specialist Centre provides an extensive array of services in numerous medical specialities.

Nawaloka Hospitals also introduced a new paradigm in medical diagnostic capabilities to Sri Lanka through a ground-breaking partnership with Korean healthcare giant, Green Cross Labs. Spanning 20,000 square feet, the facility established through the partnership represents the largest and most advanced medical diagnostics laboratory complex in the country, and is equipped with cutting edge technology and a highly skilled team of medical professionals and technicians. It has today turned into a network of laboratories all over the island, in Matara, Wennappuwa, Galle and Negombo, enabling access to the very best diagnostic and laboratory services in the country to a much larger population. 

“The instance of both communicable and non-communicable diseases is steadily driven higher by changes in diets, environmental conditions and stresses of modern urban living. This when combined with rising income levels and increasing pressure on State medical services, has resulted in an exponential increase in the demand for affordable, quality private healthcare services.  

“Accessibility is just as important as affordability when it comes to administering healthcare. Technology is also rapidly altering the way that healthcare can be delivered to patients. That is why Nawaloka has continuously sustained investments into more robust IT infrastructure in order to optimise patient management, deliver access to healthcare remotely, and improve diagnostic and preventative care.

“Our unparalleled clinical excellence, world class medical expertise, and empathetic approach to managing the needs of patients has enabled Nawaloka Hospitals to attain a standard of healthcare that is now on par with international standards. The journey this far has been both challenging and rewarding and moving forward we remain firmly committed to building on this remarkable legacy. As we look back these past 34 years, we are grateful to all who have believed in us and made us one of Asia’s most trusted hospitals,” Dr. Dharmadasa concluded.

Nawaloka Hospitals opened the first specialised unit for cardiac care, well renowned Nawaloka Heart Centre, which has successfully completed over 13,500 heart surgeries since its inception. Additionally, the hospital houses fully-equipped specialised centres for digestive health, chest and sleep, rheumatology and pain management, radiology, lasik surgery, physiotherapy, and skin care and cosmetics. Nawaloka also offers a 24-hour OPD centre, a state-of-the-art ETU facility, air and land medical evacuation services which include mobile ICUs, as well as a home nursing unit offering professional in-home care services. To support this extensive portfolio, the hospital houses 12 operating theatres. 

Geared with the latest technology and affordable healthcare solutions of international standards driven by a passionate, professional team of only the best consultants and nurses, Nawaloka Hospitals is fully committed towards the principle vision of building a healthier, stronger Sri Lanka.