Dutch Hospital of
Colombo

The Dutch Hospital is one of Colombo's the oldest buildings. Built around 1681, the Dutch established the hospital to look after the health of the officers and other staff serving under the Dutch East India Company. It was a ‘top-end’ hospital for its time. The most famous surgeon to have worked at the Colombo Dutch Hospital was Paul Hermann who served from 1672 to 1679. Herman has been described as the father of botany in Sri Lanka. He brought about an evolution to Sri Lanka’s medical scene. The hospital discontinued its service after the British occupied the Fort. The empty hospital building was used as the Colombo Fort Police Station from the early 1980s to 1990s. It took damage during the Civil War of the late 20th century and was subsequently abandoned. In 2011 the Old Dutch Hospital premises underwent a restoration. The entire structure was renovated to its original glory and converted into a shopping and dining arcade. It is one of the Fort’s well-preserve heritage building.

Taste foods and have a nice chat in Colonial Architectural Complex.

The Dutch established the Colombo hospital in 1681 to look after the health of the officers and other staff serving under the Dutch East India Company. The hospital's close proximity to the harbour allowed it to serve the Dutch seafarers. The building was used as the Colombo Fort Police Station from the early 1980s to 1990s, prior to which it housed the Colombo Apothecaries. It suffered heavy damage in the LTTE attack that followed the Central Bank bombing in 1996. In 2011, it was transformed into a shopping and dining precinct, where the historic architecture has been preserved but interior stands proudly to the modern day Sri Lanka. You may also enjoy live entertainment, cultural shows, street musicians, art exhibitions, street theatre performances and hawker style food festivals, and these are just some of what The Old Colombo Dutch Hospital has to offer today! You can still sense the vibes of all that energy left behind!