Gearing to celebrate its 25th anniversary in September, the Nawaloka Hospital is set to go from strength to strength, says Jayantha Dharmadasa.
“We took a huge risk in setting up a private hospital all those years ago. The nursing home concept was popular then for those who looked for services beyond the general hospital. If you wanted specialised treatment you had to go overseas and only a few people could afford that. With Nawaloka, the vision was to set up a private sector hospital with complete services that would be treated like a general hospital by the public,” explains the Deputy Chairman.
More innovations and fresh initiatives are on the agenda for the next six years.
Expansion plans include moving the channelling area off-site to improve traffic and service, and the setting up of regional hospitals. “We already have a smaller hospital in Ruhuna but we’re envisioning further services there and we have earmarked the North-Eastern, Ratnapura and Kurunegala areas to establish regional hospitals,” Dharmadasa explains.
Highlighting its customer-oriented outlook, the Hospital now operates a Hospitality Card offering priority service to corporate employees, complete with online access. The Hospital hopes to drive forward loyalty programmes in partnership with business groups.
Although tested in the financial crisis, the books are looking good, notes Dharmadasa. Hospital operations have seen an upward swing by 41 percent to Rs 415 mn in the last financial year. The Nawaloka Group has generated revenues of Rs 2.84 bn, with an actual growth of 14 percent.
While private hospital care seems available round every corner today, Nawaloka maintains its top-notch status, asserts Dharmadasa. “This Hospital will always be running at full capacity because a large base of trust has been built through word of mouth.”
