Historic Dutch Hospital of Colombo

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The Dutch Hospital, now a vibrant shopping and dining precinct in front of Echelon Square, Colombo, is one of the city’s oldest buildings. As its name suggests, this historic structure dates back to the Dutch occupation of Sri Lanka, which lasted from 1656 to 1796.

The Hospital During the Dutch Period

This hospital’s exact construction date remains unclear, but it was likely built soon after the Dutch captured Colombo in 1656. While no definitive date is available, historical records indicate that the hospital was established before 1681. The German writer Schweitzer (1681/1953, p. 78) describes it as a “well-built hospital” where Dutch patients received care from surgeons and slaves, under the supervision of Dr. Hermannus, who later became a professor of medicine at Leyden. A Dutch map from 1732 also marks the hospital’s presence at its current site.

Compared to other Dutch hospitals in Asia, this facility was notably spacious and well-equipped. In 1744, Heydt (1744/1952, p. 3) remarked that the Dutch East India Company had no better hospital in the Indies than the one in Colombo. The hospital featured a laboratory managed by a doctor and three assistants, where various medicines were prepared. Patients were provided with individual beds, mattresses, and two meals a day, tailored to their preferences, which were noted each morning.

By 1785, the hospital accommodated 180 patients, but it was overcrowded. In response, expansions in 1786 increased its capacity to 300 patients (R. K. De Silva & Beumer, 1988, pp. 249–251). The hospital relied on imported medicines from Europe, while local spices and herbs supplemented treatments. Opium was sourced from Surat, a Dutch possession in India, and all medicines were stored in secure boxes imported from Amsterdam, with strict records maintained of their use (R. K. De Silva & Beumer, 1988, pp. 249–251).

Reflecting traditional Dutch architecture in Sri Lanka, the hospital was built with walls over 50 cm thick and massive teak beams. These sturdy features contributed to its longevity. The structure also included long, wide verandahs along each wing, high walls, and large windows, which ensured a cooler and more comfortable interior despite the tropical heat (Udugoda & Paranavitana, 1985).

View in perspective of the new Colombo Hospital, from the south :
Unknown artist, 1771, Leiden
Above the entrance appears the date
MDCCLXXI — View in perspective of the new Colombo Hospital, from the south :
Unknown artist, 1771, Leiden
Above the entrance appears the date MDCCLXXI

View in perspective of the new Colombo Hospital, from the north’
Unknown artist, 1771, KITLV, Leiden
Headmaster’s house (A4)
Dispensary (B)
Chemist’s house (C)
Hospital (D)
Quarters of the hospital cook (E)
Cow-house (F)
Parl of the rampari-wall (G) — View in perspective of the new Colombo Hospital, from the north
Unknown artist, 1771, KITLV, Leiden
Headmaster’s house (A4), Dispensary (B), Chemist’s house (C), Hospital (D), Quarters of the hospital cook (E), Cow-house (F), Part of the rampart-wall (G)

The Dutch Hospital During the British Era

After the British took control of Colombo in 1796, they continued to maintain and operate the Dutch Hospital. In 1802, Percival (1803/1805, p. 128) praised the hospital, noting its spacious and well-organized design. He highlighted the division of wards to separate patients with different illnesses, preventing the spread of infections.

Adjacent to the hospital was a house for the chief surgeon, where medical supplies were stored and prepared. Percival also commended the hospital’s management, emphasizing the quality of care provided to soldiers and sailors in Colombo’s tropical climate.

Post-Independence Dutch Hospital

The Dutch Hospital gradually lost its significance with the establishment of other general hospitals in the 20th century. It later became home to the Colombo Apothecaries and, in the late 1980s and 1990s, housed the Fort Police Station. The building sustained severe damage during the 1996 Central Bank bombing carried out by the LTTE. (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025)

Following the defeat of the LTTE in 2009, the deteriorating Dutch Hospital building was meticulously restored to its former glory. It was then transformed into a vibrant shopping and dining precinct in 2011, which now draws both locals and tourists daily.

References

De Silva, R. K., & Beumer, W. G. M. (1988). Illustrations and views of Dutch Ceylon 1602-1796. Serendib Publications.
Heydt, J. W. (1952). Heydt’s Ceylon : Being the Relevant Sections of the Allerneuester Geographisch- Und Topographischer Schau-Platz Von Africa Und Ost-Indien Etc. Etc (R. Raven-Hart, Trans.). Ceylon Government Information Department. (Original work published 1744)
Percival, R. (1805). An Account of the Island of Ceylon: Containing Its History, Geography, Natural History, with Manners and Customs of Its Various Inhabitants (2nd ed.). C. and R. Baldwin. (Original work published 1803)
Schweitzer. (1953). Germans in Dutch Ceylon (R. Raven-Hart, Trans.). Colombo National Museum. (Original work published 1681)
Udugoda, C. G., & Paranavitana, K. D. (1985). The Seventeenth-Century Dutch Hospital in Colombo. Medical History, 29, 182–192.
Wikipedia Contributors. (2025, February 19). Old Colombo Dutch Hospital. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 21, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Colombo_Dutch_Hospital

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