Dutch Hospital to be preserved
 

BY CHAMIKARA Weerasinghe

THE Cabinet decided on Wednesday to conserve the ancient Dutch Hospital in Fort, Colombo after recognising as a monument of the country's archaeological heritage.

The hospital is believed to have been built in 1677 by the Dutch. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage is to preserve the age-old colonial structure with architectural design.

The decision to maintain it as an archaeological monument revokes a decision by the former Government to lease the age-old structure to a Singaporean company for 30 years, to convert the structure and run it as a boutique hotel.

This was on a Cabinet paper dated February 19, 2003, a Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Ministry spokesman said.

The present Dutch Hospital was started by Dutch colonisers to treat their wounded soldiers following their taking over of the Colombo harbour. It was regarded as one of the top hospitals to have belonged to the Dutch and the Eastern Indian Trade Company of that time.