The Lanka Hospitals Corporation has spent the past year collecting some of the highest-profile recognitions in Sri Lankan healthcare. It stands as the only tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka accredited under the newest Joint Commission International (JCI) 8th Edition standard. Simultaneously, the institution achieved continued inclusion among Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Brands by Brand Finance—ranked No. 56 overall, with an AA Brand Strength Rating and a position among the country’s leading healthcare brands. It also secured a TAGS Gold Award for transparency and governance, marking its third consecutive win in that category, along with acknowledgement as one of Sri Lanka’s most recognized private healthcare institutions.
For Group Chief Marketing Officer Nimal Ratnayake, none of these awards are the point in themselves. “Awards are never the destination,” he emphasizes. “They confirm the standards we consistently maintain.” JCI accreditation, he explains, reassures patients that they are receiving care benchmarked against global best practice. Corporate recognitions such as the TAGS Gold Award reinforce confidence among shareholders, regulators, and business partners by demonstrating transparency and governance. Together, these achievements strengthen the hospital’s overarching brand promise: world-class healthcare delivered with compassion, integrity, and trust.
Ratnayake’s central claim is that trust, not technology or infrastructure alone, is what patients are actually buying when choosing a healthcare provider. While Lanka Hospitals invests significantly in quality accreditation, patient safety, specialist expertise, and service excellence, it differentiates itself by delivering confidence at every patient touchpoint—before, during, and after treatment. He builds Lanka Hospitals’ brand on three fundamental dimensions: clinical excellence supported by international standards, patient-centred care driven by empathy and innovation, and corporate excellence through strong governance and sustainability. “Patients choose us because they trust our clinical capabilities, employees choose us because they believe in our culture, and investors value us because they see sustainable performance,” he says. “That is the evolution we are proud of.”
That trust is cultivated through a marketing strategy built on five strategic pillars: brand trust, digital transformation, clinical thought leadership, customer experience, and data-driven marketing. At the same time, communication has shifted from promoting services to telling meaningful patient stories, educating communities, and building long-term relationships. Recognizing that different generations consume healthcare differently, Lanka Hospitals personalises its engagement across channels: Baby Boomers respond to reputation, Generation X to expertise, Millennials to convenience, and Generation Z to digital-first engagement. This spans traditional media and community outreach to AI-enabled digital marketing, social media, CRM systems, and personalized content.
On the digital side, Ratnayake says the focus is on removing friction throughout the patient journey, offering the same convenience patients expect from banking or travel. The hospital continues to strengthen its digital ecosystem through online appointments, mobile-first engagement, targeted digital campaigns, AI-assisted content development, and data-driven marketing insights. Its newly enhanced website now serves patients across more than 100 countries, supporting a growing international patient strategy. “The future of healthcare marketing is no longer about broadcasting messages,” Ratnayake notes. “It is about delivering the right information to the right patient at the right time.”
Lanka Hospitals is now extending its reach beyond traditional hospital boundaries through the HEARTS 360 vision. HEARTS 360 represents a broader ambition: not only to be Sri Lanka’s most trusted hospital, but to become one of South Asia’s most respected healthcare brands. A suite of expanding services—including home care, trauma care, Doc Help (a 24/7 phone line connecting patients directly to a doctor), and a Mobile Laboratory—is designed to reach patients before they ever need a hospital bed. “Healthcare comes to you,” is how Ratnayake sums up the strategy, positioning Lanka Hospitals as an integrated healthcare ecosystem that becomes part of people’s everyday health journey rather than simply being there when they fall ill.
Nimal Ratnayake, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Lanka Hospitals, spoke to Echelon about how the Group is turning clinical accreditation and patient trust into a brand strategy, and what HEARTS 360 means for its next five years.
Lanka Hospitals has achieved several milestones and received significant industry recognition in recent years. From a brand perspective, how do these achievements reflect the evolution of Lanka Hospitals and its position as one of Sri Lanka’s leading healthcare providers?
Healthcare brands are not built through advertising alone—they are built through consistent clinical excellence, patient trust, governance, and measurable outcomes.
Our recent recognitions, including the latest (8th Edition) JCI accreditation, continued inclusion among Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Brands by Brand Finance, TAGS Gold Awards for transparency and governance, and acknowledgement as one of Sri Lanka’s most recognized private healthcare institutions, demonstrate that Lanka Hospitals is evolving beyond being a hospital to becoming one of Sri Lanka’s most trusted healthcare brands.
Today, our brand stands on three dimensions:
- Clinical excellence supported by international standards.
- Patient-centred care driven by empathy and innovation.
- Corporate excellence through strong governance and sustainability.
Brand value ultimately reflects confidence. Patients choose us because they trust our clinical capabilities, employees choose us because they believe in our culture, and investors value us because they see sustainable performance. That is the evolution we are proud of.
Healthcare decisions are strongly influenced by trust and reputation. In an increasingly competitive healthcare environment, how has Lanka Hospitals strengthened its brand differentiation and created a deeper connection with patients and families?
Trust is the most valuable asset any healthcare institution can possess. At Lanka Hospitals, we don’t differentiate ourselves simply by technology or infrastructure. We differentiate ourselves by delivering confidence at every patient touchpoint.
Our focus has been on creating exceptional experiences before, during, and after treatment. We have invested significantly in quality accreditation, patient safety, specialist expertise, digital convenience, and service excellence.
At the same time, our communication strategy has shifted from promoting services to telling meaningful patient stories, educating communities, and building long-term relationships. Healthcare is deeply emotional. Families remember how they were treated just as much as the treatment itself. That emotional connection creates lifelong loyalty.
What are the key pillars driving Lanka Hospitals’ current marketing strategy, and how do you ensure the brand continues to remain relevant and meaningful to different generations of healthcare consumers?
Our marketing strategy is built on five pillars:
- Brand Trust
- Digital Transformation
- Clinical Thought Leadership
- Customer Experience
- Data-driven Marketing
Different generations consume healthcare differently. Baby Boomers value reputation. Generation X values expertise. Millennials expect convenience. Generation Z expects digital-first engagement. We personalize communication across multiple channels, from traditional media and community engagement to AI-enabled digital marketing, social media, CRM, and personalized content.
Our objective is not simply to increase awareness. It is to remain relevant at every stage of a person’s healthcare journey.
Lanka Hospitals has received recognition for excellence in healthcare quality, innovation, and service standards. How important are these achievements in strengthening stakeholder confidence and reinforcing the Lanka Hospitals brand promise?
Awards are never the destination. They confirm the standards we consistently maintain. International recognitions such as JCI reassure patients that they receive care benchmarked against global best practices.
Corporate recognitions such as the TAGS Gold Award reinforce confidence among shareholders, regulators, and business partners by demonstrating transparency and governance. Together, these recognitions strengthen our brand promise: World-class healthcare delivered with compassion, integrity, and trust.
With digital healthcare becoming increasingly important in shaping patient expectations, how is Lanka Hospitals leveraging digital platforms, technology, and data-driven marketing to enhance engagement and deliver a more seamless patient experience?
Healthcare today is increasingly digital. Patients expect the same convenience they receive from banking or travel. Our strategy focuses on removing friction throughout the patient journey.
We continue to strengthen our digital ecosystem through online appointments, mobile-first engagement, targeted digital campaigns, AI-assisted content development, data-driven marketing insights, and personalized communication. Our newly enhanced website serves patients across more than 100 countries, supporting our growing international patient strategy. The future of healthcare marketing is no longer about broadcasting messages. It is about delivering the right information to the right patient at the right time.
The HEARTS 360 vision focuses on extending healthcare beyond traditional hospital boundaries through solutions such as home care, trauma care, Doc Help, Mobile Laboratory, and digital services. How is the marketing function supporting awareness and adoption of this expanded healthcare ecosystem?
HEARTS 360 represents one of the most exciting transformations for Lanka Hospitals. Healthcare no longer begins and ends within hospital walls.
Our marketing role is to help patients understand that Lanka Hospitals is now an integrated healthcare ecosystem.
Whether it is Home Care, Mobile Laboratory services, Doc Help, emergency care, or digital health solutions, we are communicating one simple message: Healthcare comes to you.
We are supporting this through integrated campaigns, geo-targeted digital marketing, educational content, partnerships, and community outreach. Ultimately, HEARTS 360 allows us to become part of people’s everyday health journey rather than simply being there when they fall ill.
As Lanka Hospitals moves into its next phase of growth, what role will brand building, innovation, and customer experience play in supporting the organization’s long-term vision?
The future belongs to healthcare brands that combine clinical excellence with outstanding experiences. Brand building creates preference. Innovation creates relevance. Customer experience creates loyalty.
Our ambition is to become not only Sri Lanka’s most trusted hospital but also one of South Asia’s most respected healthcare brands. That means continuously investing in medical technology, digital innovation, AI, patient experience, sustainability, and people. Strong brands don’t simply respond to change. They lead it.
After years of building a trusted healthcare brand, what is the one promise you want every patient, family, and stakeholder to associate with the name “Lanka Hospitals”?
If I had to summarize our promise in one sentence, it would be this: “Whenever life matters most, Lanka Hospitals will be there, with trusted expertise, compassionate care, and world-class standards.”
Everything we do, from investing in people and technology to achieving international accreditation and embracing innovation, is ultimately about earning and protecting that trust. Because in healthcare, trust is not simply part of the brand. Trust is the brand.
Beyond the Hospital Walls: Financial Performance, Clinical Leadership, and Strategy 2030
Ratnayake’s argument that trust converts into value shows up in the Group’s results for the year. Lanka Hospitals posted the highest revenue and profit in its history in the financial year of 2025: revenue rose 6% to Rs 14.47 billion, and profit after tax grew 45% to Rs 1.94 billion. The Board declared a dividend of Rs 783 million, also the largest in the company’s history, and return on assets improved to 10% from 7%.
The Group also carried out 802 cardiothoracic surgeries—heart and chest operations such as bypass and valve procedures—during the year, the highest number performed by any private healthcare provider in Sri Lanka. Its Laboratory segment grew revenue 13% on higher patient volumes and a wider range of diagnostic tests on offer. A disciplined plan in governance and execution has run alongside brand-building, paired with a marketing strategy built to carry the Lanka Hospitals name into new services and new markets.
HEARTS 360, the vision Ratnayake calls the Group’s answer to healthcare beyond hospital walls, is formally a five-year plan running to 2030, built around six priorities: patient care, clinical excellence, digital advancement, financial agility, people and culture, and sustainability. Some of it is already operating rather than planned. LankaLifeLine, the Group’s trauma response service, and LankaCare, its home care offering for elderly patients whose children live overseas, both launched in 2025, giving Ratnayake’s “healthcare comes to you” line something concrete to point to rather than a slogan alone.
Lanka Hospitals’ ambition now rests on the clinical volumes, accreditation standards, and governance record the Group built in 2025, carried forward across a five-year window in which competitors will be chasing the same patients, the same international referral relationships, and the same digital-first expectations. The Group enters that window with a year of record financial results behind it and two HEARTS 360 services already running, carrying forward a single promise to every patient and stakeholder. “Whenever life matters most, Lanka Hospitals will be there, with trusted expertise, compassionate care, and world-class standards,” Ratnayake says. “Because in healthcare, trust is not simply part of the brand. Trust is the brand.”