For nearly 175 years, the Teaching Hospital (TH), Jaffna, has stood not simply as a cluster of wards and operating theatres, but as a quiet witness to the social, political and medical history of the Northern Province. From modest beginnings in the mid-19th Century to its present role as a major tertiary care and academic institution, the Hospital’s story is inseparable from that of the people that it serves, stretching from Jaffna to Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and beyond.
The origins of the Jaffna TH date back to 1850, during the British colonial period, when access to healthcare in the Northern Province was limited and uneven. The Friend-in-Need Society’s Hospital was established at the time under the leadership of the Government Agent of the Northern Province, Percival Acland Dyke, with the vital involvement of an American medical missionary, Dr. Samuel Fisk Green. The institution was founded not for prestige or profit, but out of necessity, to respond to the heavy burden of illness among largely rural and economically disadvantaged communities, far removed from Colombo-centred medical services.
In its early decades, the Hospital functioned as a mission-driven space defined by service and personal sacrifice. Much of its medical staff consisted of graduates from Dr. Green’s Medical School in Manipay, founded in 1848, the first medical school in Ceylon. This connection placed Jaffna at the centre of the island’s earliest medical education efforts, well before the establishment of formal State medical faculties. Dr. Green himself served as the Hospital’s first visiting surgeon, setting standards of care that were progressive for the time. Administration relied largely on voluntary support and philanthropy, reflecting a strong sense of collective responsibility that would continue to shape the institution’s character.
A major institutional transition took place in 1907, when the Hospital’s administration was transferred to the Civil Medical Department, replacing the earlier military medical oversight of the 19th Century. The Hospital was renamed the Jaffna Civil Hospital, marking its formal entry into the State healthcare system. This shift was more than symbolic, signalling official recognition of the Hospital’s growing role in public health delivery in the Northern Province.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Hospital entered a phase of clinical consolidation and professional growth. It benefited greatly from the work of three distinguished surgeons, Dr. I.T. Kunaratnam, Dr. A.H.C. de Silva and Dr. Milroy Paul, all Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons. At the time, the Hospital maintained a bed capacity of around 200, including a small private ward known as the Thirunavukarasu Memorial Ward. Its medical team, which included physicians, surgeons, eye surgeons and house officers, demonstrated a commitment to comprehensive patient care despite limited resources.
The decades following Independence brought renewed State attention to healthcare development in the North. During the 1950s, increased Government investment led to a steady expansion of services, including the appointment of specialists across core and sub-specialty disciplines. This growth resulted in the Hospital being upgraded to the General Hospital (GH) status, reflecting its expanding clinical reach and regional importance.
By the 1960s, the Jaffna GH had gained recognition as a postgraduate training centre, particularly for candidates preparing for the final examinations of the Royal College of England. This recognition placed the Hospital on an international academic footing and strengthened its dual role as both a service provider and a centre of medical learning.
A defining moment came in June 1980 with the establishment of the Medical Faculty at the Jaffna University. This development permanently transformed the Hospital. Clinical training was integrated into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and the institution was formally designated the Jaffna TH. For the Northern Province, including Districts such as Mannar, this marked the beginning of a new era, allowing doctors to be trained, mentored and retained within the region.
The years that followed were marked by extraordinary challenges. The civil conflict forced the Hospital to be relocated twice over four decades, disrupting services and placing severe strain on staff and resources. Yet, even in displacement, it continued to function as the primary tertiary care institution in the North. For patients from Mannar and other outlying Districts, it remained the final referral point, often the last hope for complex surgery, intensive care and specialised treatment.
Today, with a bed strength of 1,451, it serves a population of more than 610,000 across 15 Divisional Secretariat divisions. Its facilities include specialised intensive care units for medical, coronary, surgical and neonatal care, alongside departments in orthopaedics, nephrology, cardiology, neurosurgery, respiratory medicine, radiology, haematology, ear, nose, throat, ophthalmology and plastic surgery. Advanced services such as cardiothoracic surgery, kidney transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, and oral and maxillofacial surgery are now available, reducing the need for patients to travel to Colombo.
The Hospital’s workforce this year (in 2025) reflects both its scale and expertise. It includes 93 consultant specialists, among them academic staff from the University, supported by 259 medical officers, 762 nursing officers, and a large number of allied health, paramedical, administrative and support staff. Together, they provide care to more than 4,500 patients each day, underscoring the Hospital’s central role in regional healthcare.
Key milestones achieved over the past decade highlight the Hospital’s continuing evolution. The first open-heart surgery was performed in 2017, followed by the first kidney transplant in 2021. Last year (in 2024), the Hospital carried out its first bone marrow transplant, becoming only the second Government Hospital in Sri Lanka to offer this service. The establishment of the Ophthalmology Department in 2013 led to the elimination of waiting lists for eye surgeries, with a cataract surgical rate of 15 per 1,000 achieved in 2024, in line with global standards.
Innovation has also taken digital form. Since its establishment in 2019, the Telemedicine Department has conducted more than 575 global online multidisciplinary team meetings, reviewing over 4,000 complex cases. This initiative has been particularly valuable for patients from Districts such as Mannar and Mullaitivu, helping to reduce delays and bridge geographic barriers to specialist care.
The opening of the Hospital museum in 2018, which preserves the original centenary building, served a deeper purpose than commemoration alone. It affirmed the Hospital’s place in Sri Lanka’s medical history and honoured generations of healthcare workers who served through peace, conflict and recovery.
As the Hospital marks 175 years of service, its importance extends beyond numbers and milestones. It represents continuity in a region shaped by disruption. For families travelling long distances in search of advanced care, for students determined to serve their own communities, and for healthcare workers who choose dedication over comfort, the Jaffna TH remains a powerful symbol of collective endurance.
Recent progress has also been guided by the steady, reform-oriented leadership of its Director, Dr. Thangamuthu Sathiyamoorthy. His tenure has seen meaningful institutional changes, strengthened clinical services and a renewed focus on accountability and patient-centred care, further reinforcing the Hospital’s role as a cornerstone of tertiary healthcare in Northern Sri Lanka.
At a time when healthcare is increasingly judged by technology and efficiency, the story of the Jaffna TH is a reminder that institutions are ultimately defined by people, their perseverance, compassion and commitment to service. From a small mission Hospital to a pillar of Sri Lanka’s medical landscape, its 175-year journey stands as both a regional legacy and a national achievement.
The writer is an Intern Medical Officer at the Jaffna TH
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication