North Colombo Medical College

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North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) was Sri Lanka’s first privately funded medical school. It opened in 1980 in Ragama, Western Province, after being proposed by the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka. The college started with 100 local students and 20 foreigners, and the first group began graduating in 1990.

Key people and milestones
- Founding and leadership: The project was led by the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka. G. M. Heenilame served as the first chairman and W. D. Ratnavale was the first director.
- Early teamwork: The effort brought together Drs. Heennilame, Aloysius, Gooneratne, Jayasinghe, Cabraal, and Ratnavale, who worked hard to start the college even though there were no funds or offices at first.
- Opening: On September 21, 1981, President Junius Richard Jayewardene officially opened the North Colombo Medical College.
- Support and challenges: The college received backing from President Jayewardene and figures like Professor Stanley Wijesundera and other university staff. It faced opposition from some socialist groups, including a 1988 bombing attack on its administration building.

Education and affiliation
- The college created its own MBBS degree (NCMC) and later affiliated with the University of Aberdeen.
- In 1989 the government nationalized the college. The army occupied the Talagolla campus for security, and a Competent Authority took over the board. The first Dean after the transfer was Carlo Fonseka.
- The NCMC became the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Kelaniya. The first group of NCMC students completed their five-year MBBS program under Kelaniya in September 1996.

Notable alumni
- Prof. Chandanie Wanigatunge, a professor of pharmacology, is among the college’s notable alumni.

Legacy
- NCMC is recognized as the island’s first privately funded medical school and a key step in Sri Lanka’s medical education history. Its early supporters and subsequent nationalization marked a significant transition in how medical education was organized in the country.