Dr. Fernando insists hospital given to govt. outright

Head of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) Dr Neville Fernando yesterday reassured all concerned parties that the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital had been donated to the government free of cost.

Dr. Fernando said that however that since he had obtained a Rs. 3.5 Billion loan from the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) and had only paid a little over one billion rupees of it, the Bank had suggested that he use the term ‘lease’ in order to ensure that he met the terms of the loan and paid all his dues. He said the state would own the hospital and the land once he paid off the loan, he said.

Dr Fernando said the hospital would function like the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital from August 1. The government would appoint its board of directors and its medical administrator.

Dr Fernando said that the existing hospital staff would continue to function while new staff including doctors and nurses would be recruited by its new board of directors.