Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Board Act, No. 54 of 1983

An Act to establish the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Board as a body corporate with perpetual succession for the management and administration of the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital. Certified 29 December 1983. The Act creates an 11-member Board (8 appointed by the Minister + 3 ex-officio) with monthly meetings and a quorum of 5, a Committee of Management (7 members) for day-to-day hospital administration, and a dedicated Fund for hospital finances. Hospital operations commenced on 17 September 1984. The Act has no amendments in over 40 years.

Source

Full text available at documents.gov.lk (PDF). Also listed at srilankalaw.lk. 19 sections in a single continuous body (no formal Parts). No amendments enacted.

Act Structure

The Act has 19 sections with no formal Part divisions. Sections are organised into 6 functional groups:

Group	Sections	Topic	Summary
Establishment	1-2	Short title & body corporate	Short title (S.1); Board established as body corporate with perpetual succession and common seal (S.2)
Constitution & Meetings	3-6	Composition, term, vacancies, meetings	Board composition: 8 appointed + 3 ex-officio = 11 members (S.3); 3-year term, remuneration by Minister (S.4); monthly meetings, quorum 5 (S.5); auto-vacate on 3 consecutive missed meetings without leave (S.6)
Powers & Functions	7-9	Board powers, Committee, Minister's directions	Board powers: property, staff, Fund, contracts (S.7); Committee of Management for day-to-day administration (S.8); Minister may give general directions on policy (S.9)
Finance	10-12	Fund, expenditure, audit	Fund established for hospital finances (S.10); expenditure approved by Board (S.11); audit under Article 154 of the Constitution (S.12)
Staff & Offences	13-14	Offences, public officers	Offences within hospital premises (S.13); staff are public officers (S.14)
Legal & Interpretation	15-19	Good faith, writ, Bribery Act, regulations, definitions	Good faith protection (S.15); no writ against Board (S.16); members deemed public servants under Bribery Act (S.17); Penal Code offences (S.18); interpretation (S.19)

Section Detail

Section	Topic	Summary
1	Short title	Citation as the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Board Act, No. 54 of 1983
2	Establishment of Board	The Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Board is established as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal; may sue and be sued in its corporate name
3	Constitution of Board	11 members: (a) Chairman appointed by Minister, (b) 1 officer of Ministry of Health nominated by Secretary, (c) 1 officer of Ministry of Finance nominated by Secretary, (d) 3 members from consultancy staff elected by medical/dental staff, (e) 2 distinguished persons appointed by Minister, (f) Director of Health Services or nominee, (g) Director of PGIM or nominee, (h) Director of the Hospital
4	Term and remuneration	Appointed members serve 3-year terms; remuneration determined by the Minister
5	Meetings	Board shall meet at least once per month; quorum 5 members; Chairman presides; if Chairman absent, members elect one among themselves to preside
6	Vacancies	A member who is absent from 3 consecutive meetings without leave of the Board shall vacate office
7	Powers of the Board	Receive grants/gifts; hold/acquire/dispose property; appoint/dismiss staff; administer Fund; open bank accounts (with Minister's approval); borrow money (with Minister's approval); enter contracts; do all things necessary for hospital management
8	Committee of Management	7 members: (a) Director of Hospital (Chairman), (b)-(d) 3 consultancy staff appointed by Board, (e) Chief Matron, (f) Hospital Secretary or Chief Administrative Officer, (g) Chief Accountant; Board Chairman may attend; Committee sets own quorum and procedure; day-to-day administration
9	Directions by Minister	Minister may give the Board general directions as to the policy to be followed in the exercise of its powers and functions
10	Fund	A Fund is established for the purposes of the Board; credited with all moneys received by the Board including grants, donations, gifts, bequests, and hospital revenue
11	Regulations	Minister may make regulations for carrying out the purposes of the Act, including: Consultative Committees, staff remuneration, admission and entry restrictions
12	Audit	Accounts of the Board shall be audited in accordance with Article 154 of the Constitution (Auditor-General)
13	Offences	Offences within hospital premises: obscene/threatening language, property damage, smoking in prohibited areas, throwing objects, parking violations, damage to plants/vegetation; fine up to Rs. 500
14	Staff as public officers	Officers and servants of the Board deemed to be public officers; public officers may be transferred/seconded to the Board with consent of the relevant authority
15	Good faith protection	No suit or prosecution against any member or officer for any act done in good faith in the exercise of powers under the Act
16	No writ	No writ shall issue against the Board or any member in respect of any act done in pursuance of powers under the Act
17	Bribery Act	Every member of the Board deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Bribery Act
18	Penal Code	Every member and officer deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Penal Code
19	Interpretation	"Hospital" means the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital; "Minister" means the Minister to whom the subject of Health is assigned; "Board" means the SJGH Board established under S.2

Statutory Bodies

2 Legally Active0 Obsolete

Board Composition Detail

The Board consists of 8 appointed members and 3 ex-officio members (11 total). Appointed members serve 3-year terms. Quorum is 5 members.

Appointed members (8):

#	Role	Appointed/Nominated By	Note
1	Chairman	Minister	S.3(1)(a)
2	Officer of Ministry of Health	Secretary to the Ministry of Health	S.3(1)(b)
3	Officer of Ministry of Finance	Secretary to the Ministry of Finance	S.3(1)(c)
4	Consultancy staff member (first)	Elected by medical and dental staff	S.3(1)(d)
5	Consultancy staff member (second)	Elected by medical and dental staff	S.3(1)(d)
6	Consultancy staff member (third)	Elected by medical and dental staff	S.3(1)(d)
7	Distinguished person (first)	Minister	S.3(1)(e)
8	Distinguished person (second)	Minister	S.3(1)(e)

Ex-officio members (3):

#	Role	Note
1	Director of Health Services (or nominee)	S.3(1)(f)
2	Director of Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (or nominee)	S.3(1)(g)
3	Director of the Hospital	S.3(1)(h)

Term: 3 years for appointed members; ex-officio serve while holding their posts
Vacancies: A member absent from 3 consecutive meetings without leave of the Board shall vacate office (S.6)
Quorum: 5 members (S.5(1))
Meetings: At least once per month (S.5(1))
Presiding: Chairman presides; if absent, members elect one among themselves (S.5(2))
Remuneration: As determined by the Minister (S.4)

Committee of Management Composition

The Committee of Management consists of 7 members chaired by the Director of the Hospital. The Board Chairman may attend meetings.

#	Role	Note
1	Director of the Hospital	Chairman of the Committee (S.8(a))
2	Consultancy staff member (first)	Appointed by the Board (S.8(b))
3	Consultancy staff member (second)	Appointed by the Board (S.8(c))
4	Consultancy staff member (third)	Appointed by the Board (S.8(d))
5	Chief Matron	S.8(e)
6	Hospital Secretary or Chief Administrative Officer	S.8(f)
7	Chief Accountant	S.8(g)

Quorum: Set by the Committee itself (S.8)
Procedure: Committee regulates its own procedure (S.8)
Function: Day-to-day administration of the Hospital as delegated by the Board
Board oversight: Chairman of the Board may attend meetings of the Committee

Board Powers & Functions (Section 7)

The Board has extensive powers for hospital management:

Power	Description	Section
Receive grants and gifts	Receive grants, subsidies, donations, gifts, and bequests from any source	S.7(a)
Property — acquire	Hold, purchase, take on lease, or otherwise acquire movable and immovable property	S.7(b)
Property — dispose	Sell, mortgage, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any property vested in the Board	S.7(c)
Staff management	Appoint, dismiss, and exercise disciplinary control over officers and servants	S.7(d)
Fund administration	Administer the Fund established under Section 10	S.7(e)
Bank accounts	Open and maintain bank accounts as approved by the Minister	S.7(f)
Borrowing	Borrow money with the approval of the Minister	S.7(g)
Contracts	Enter into contracts for the purposes of the Act	S.7(h)
General	Do all things necessary or expedient for the proper management and administration of the Hospital	S.7(i)

Minister's Powers

The Minister exercises several supervisory functions over the Board:

Power	Description	Section
Appoint Chairman	Appoints the Chairman of the Board	S.3(1)(a)
Appoint distinguished members	Appoints 2 distinguished persons to the Board	S.3(1)(e)
Determine remuneration	Determines remuneration of Board members	S.4
General directions	May give the Board general directions as to policy to be followed	S.9
Approve bank accounts	Board requires Minister's approval for bank accounts	S.7(f)
Approve borrowing	Board requires Minister's approval for borrowing money	S.7(g)
Make regulations	May make regulations for carrying out the purposes of the Act	S.11

Fund & Finance (Sections 10-12)

The Act creates a dedicated Fund for hospital finances:

Aspect	Detail	Section
Establishment	A Fund is established for the purposes of the Board	S.10
Sources	All moneys received by the Board: grants, subsidies, donations, gifts, bequests, and hospital revenue	S.10
Expenditure	Expenditure approved by the Board for hospital management and administration	S.10
Audit	Accounts audited in accordance with Article 154 of the Constitution (Auditor-General)	S.12

Offences (Section 13)

The Act creates specific offences for conduct within the hospital premises:

Offence	Penalty	Section
Using obscene or threatening language	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13
Damaging hospital property	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13
Smoking in prohibited areas	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13
Throwing objects within hospital premises	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13
Parking violations	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13
Damaging plants or vegetation	Fine up to Rs. 500	S.13

Penalty levels

The maximum fine of Rs. 500 has not been updated since 1983 — over 40 years without adjustment for inflation.

Legal Protections (Sections 15-18)

Protection	Description	Section
Good faith	No suit or prosecution against any member or officer for acts done in good faith	S.15
No writ	No writ shall issue against the Board or any member for acts done under the Act	S.16
Bribery Act	Members deemed public servants within the meaning of the Bribery Act	S.17
Penal Code	Members and officers deemed public servants within the meaning of the Penal Code	S.18

Cross-References

Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM)

The Director of PGIM (or nominee) is an ex-officio member of the Board (S.3(1)(g)). PGIM was established under the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978. This cross-appointment reflects the hospital's role as a teaching hospital linked to post-graduate medical education.

Vijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Hospital Board Act, No. 38 of 1999

Enacted 16 years later, the VK Memorial Hospital Board Act follows a similar governance pattern — a ministerially-appointed board managing a specific hospital. The two acts are cross-referenced in the ministry ecosystem data, reflecting parallel hospital management legislation.

Constitution of Sri Lanka — Article 154

The Board's accounts are audited by the Auditor-General under Article 154 of the Constitution (S.12), placing the hospital's finances under the same oversight framework as other public institutions.

Regulations (Section 11)

The Minister may make regulations for:

Subject	Detail	Section
Consultative Committees	Establishment of Consultative Committees for the Hospital	S.11
Staff remuneration	Terms and conditions of service for Board employees	S.11
Admission and entry	Restrictions on admission to and entry into the Hospital	S.11

Amendment Timeline

1983

1984

No amendments have been enacted since 1983 — the Act has remained unchanged for over 40 years. Exhaustive search of parliament.lk, documents.gov.lk, and srilankalaw.lk confirmed no amending legislation.

Entity Relationships & Governance

Governance Hierarchy (1952 Design)

Current Replacement Structure (Post-1989)

Data Confidence

Legislative Framework

high

Historical Details

high

Current Operational Status

low

Definitions (Section 19)

Term	Definition
Hospital	The Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital
Minister	The Minister to whom the subject of Health is assigned
Board	The Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Board established under Section 2

Research Gaps

The following areas require further investigation:

Current Board membership: Names and composition of the current Board are not publicly documented
Board meeting records: Whether the Board holds regular monthly meetings and minutes of meetings are unknown
Committee of Management activity: Whether the Committee meets regularly and its delegated scope is unknown
Fund financial status: Current financial position of the hospital Fund is not publicly documented
Audit reports: Annual audit reports under S.12 not publicly compiled or accessible
Regulations under S.11: Whether regulations have been gazetted and their content is not publicly accessible
Consultative Committees: Whether any Consultative Committees have been established under S.11
Penalty adequacy: Rs. 500 maximum fine (set in 1983) is widely regarded as inadequate; no inflation adjustment in over 40 years
Staff appointments: How the Board exercises its S.7(d) staff appointment power in practice
PGIM relationship: Nature and extent of the teaching hospital collaboration with PGIM
Comparison with VK Memorial: How governance patterns differ between the two hospital board acts

Act Structure​

Section Detail​

Statutory Bodies​

Board Composition Detail​

Committee of Management Composition​

Board Powers & Functions (Section 7)​

Minister's Powers​

Fund & Finance (Sections 10-12)​

Offences (Section 13)​

Legal Protections (Sections 15-18)​

Cross-References​

Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM)​

Vijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Hospital Board Act, No. 38 of 1999​

Constitution of Sri Lanka — Article 154​

Regulations (Section 11)​

Amendment Timeline​

Entity Relationships & Governance​