Over 170 Years of
Healing & Service
From a small volunteer hospital in the 1850s to the Northern Province's only tertiary care centre — the story of Teaching Hospital Jaffna is one of compassion, resilience and pioneering medicine.
1,451
Beds
2,000+
Dedicated Staff
140
Consultants
5,000+
Patients / Day
327
Medical Officers
661
Nursing Officers
The Northern Province's
Premier Tertiary Centre
The Jaffna district is located 410 km from Colombo in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, with an estimated population of about 610,000 across 15 Divisional Secretariat divisions. During the past 30 years the hospital was relocated twice due to armed conflict. Today, Teaching Hospital Jaffna is the only tertiary hospital in the Northern Province, under the Central Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine.
The hospital has specialised care units including MICU, CCU, SICU, NICU, ICU, Orthopaedics, Nephrology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery and more. More than 2,000 dedicated staff work 24 hours across 3 shifts, including 140 consultants, 327 Medical Officers and 661 Nursing Officers. Nearly 5,000 patients are seen daily.
The hospital also handles over 20,000 obstetric admissions and 5,582 deliveries, performs over 22,000 minor and 13,000 major surgeries annually. Its state-of-the-art laboratory and recent rapid development programme continue to transform the quality of care provided.
Key Milestones
The Beginning
The Friend in Need Society Hospital at Jaffna was established by Ackland Dyke, the Government Agent of the Northern Province, with Dr. Samuel Green and the Friend-in-Need Society. Dr. Green — a surgical giant of his era — was the first Visiting Surgeon. From 1850 to 1907, medical staff were drawn almost entirely from graduates of his Medical School.
Civil Hospital
In 1907 the hospital came under the Civil Medical Department and was renamed the Jaffna Civil Hospital. By the 1920s three F.R.C.S. surgeons — Dr. I.T. Kunaratnam, Dr. A.H.C. de Silva and Dr. Milroy Paul — were practising here. Dr. Paul introduced a high-pressure steriliser, trained theatre staff and performed casualty operations under Petromax light. Post-operative sepsis became uncommon due to strict aseptic technique.
General Hospital
Rapid expansion in the government Health Services led to the appointment of specialists. Jaffna Civil Hospital became a General Hospital. In the 1960s it became a recognised centre for postgraduate training for the Final Examinations of the Royal College of England.
Teaching Hospital
Medical students from Jaffna Medical School began clinical and para-clinical studies in June 1980. As a direct consequence of the establishment of Jaffna Medical School, the hospital was elevated to the status of a Teaching Hospital — a watershed moment for healthcare education in northern Sri Lanka.
Open Heart Surgery
Open heart surgeries using a cardiopulmonary bypass machine were successfully performed for the first time on 20–21 December 2017, led by Dr. M. S. Muhunthan, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Teaching Hospital Jaffna became one of only 4 government hospitals in Sri Lanka where open heart surgery is performed — a historic milestone of immense pride.
Museum & Telemedicine
A Hospital Museum was opened in 2018 in a century-old building — the oldest in the hospital — now functioning as a global medical education centre. Two major units operate within it: the Jaffna Medical Museum and a Telemedicine Unit.
Kidney Transplant
Kidney transplants from live donors commenced in 2023, further expanding the hospital's life-saving tertiary care capabilities and cementing its place as the leading healthcare provider in northern Sri Lanka.
First Open Heart Surgery at Teaching Hospital Jaffna
A team led by Dr. M. S. Muhunthan, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, performed two successful open heart surgeries using a cardiopulmonary bypass machine — the first ever at Teaching Hospital Jaffna.
One of only 4 government hospitals in Sri Lanka to perform open heart surgery.
Hospital Museum & Telemedicine Centre
A century-old building was transformed into a global medical education hub, housing the Jaffna Medical Museum and a Telemedicine Unit.
Kidney Transplant Programme
Live donor kidney transplants commenced in 2023, adding another life-saving service to the hospital's growing tertiary care capabilities.
Teaching Hospital Designation
The arrival of Jaffna Medical School students for clinical training elevated the hospital to Teaching Hospital status — a defining moment in northern healthcare.
Be Part of Our Ongoing Story
With a legacy spanning over 170 years, we continue to serve the northern community with compassion, expertise and innovation.