A market brief each morning, plus company filings and news from across Sri Lanka's stock market. Filter by company, sector and theme, and use sentiment badges to quickly identify Positive or Negative news.
Markss HLC and George Steuart Health signed a strategic partnership for the marketing and distribution of selected Markss pharmaceutical products across Sri Lanka, with GS Health leveraging its nationwide distribution network to expand product reach; the agreement was signed last week and a new Markss MD assumes office on 1 Oct 2026.
Vision Care Hearing Solutions launched a Hearing Ambassador Programme, holding a coffee session at Tiki Bar, Shangri-La Colombo with long-standing Oticon users to recruit ambassadors to share real-life hearing-aid experiences. Ambassadors received benefit booklets and loyalty cards and will take part in awareness initiatives, educational discussions and early trials of new hearing technology.
Healthcare & Pharma
Ada Derana·Sep 30, 2026·Promotional / marketing·COMBPositive
Commercial Bank of Ceylon's CSR Trust handed over fully refurbished Wards 03 and 04 at De Soysa Hospital for Women after a renovation launched in March. The wards handle about 2,500-3,000 deliveries and 4,000-5,000 admissions annually and the works aim to improve patient care, safety and comfort.
Vasan Eye Care Hospital was named "Ophthalmology Service Provider of the Year in Sri Lanka, 2026" at the GlobalHealth Sri Lanka Conference & Awards 2026. The award recognises the hospital's specialist ophthalmology services and patient-focused care as it expands access to comprehensive eye care in Sri Lanka.
SLEIS 2026 will examine Sri Lanka's Health Economy at a summit on 12-13 October 2026, with the session 'Reimagining Healthcare for a Modern Health Economy' featuring executives from Hemas and Sunshine and moderated by Sunshine's CEO; sponsors include Dialog and Hayleys. Registrations are open.
The Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026 will feature a session 'Reimagining Healthcare for a Modern Health Economy' on Oct 12-13 to explore private-sector investment and opportunities across healthcare services, pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Panelists include Hemas Holdings (HHL.N0000) and Sunshine Holdings (SUN.N0000).
Let'sTALK & Walk 2026 will be held on 10 October 2026 at 7:00 a.m. from Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo to raise funds for The Let'sTALK Program and Sri Lanka's 1333 crisis support line (registration Rs.1,000), with the aim of reaching 1,000 schoolchildren and raising mental-health awareness.
GS1 Lanka used its AGM to drive Sri Lanka's transition to 2D barcodes (QR/Data Matrix) under the global GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative, urging brands, retailers and healthcare providers to prepare and launching a new retail information platform. GS1 Lanka reports 5,500+ members and over 20,000 product records on its platforms.
Consumer Staples (FMCG)Healthcare & PharmaIT & Digital
Flash Health has onboarded McLarens Group to its Cashless OPD and partnered with St. Joseph Hospital, Negombo to expand medicine delivery and home laboratory services; Cashless OPD covers 3,000+ lives and its HealthOS serves 50,000+ users.
Healthcare & Pharma
Ada Derana·Sep 24, 2026·Promotional / marketing·HHLPositive
Diabetasol named Kalasuri Channa Wijewardena as brand ambassador for its 'Keep Life in Rhythm' campaign to promote specialised nutrition for people with diabetes. The product is marketed locally by Hemas Pharmaceuticals in partnership with Kalbe.
Government will assume full ownership of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, transferring it to a Treasury-owned company while the Sri Lanka Air Force is appointed to manage day-to-day operations under a Cabinet-approved hybrid framework. The Treasury will fund salaries and operations from 2026-2028, the Health Ministry will supply pharmaceuticals and consumables worth about Rs.125 million annually, and an 11-member board will be appointed.
Quantum Fitness founder Nomal Wijeyaratne says that despite 28 years of growth in gyms, studios and home fitness, Sri Lanka recorded 31.01% physical inactivity in 2021; he urges the fitness industry to shift from selling workouts to enabling sustainable, inclusive movement.
Healthcare & Pharma
Ada Derana·Sep 22, 2026·Promotional / marketing·DFCCPositive
DFCC Bank powered the 13-day, 1,333 km '1333 Bikeathon' that concluded on 10 September (World Suicide Prevention Day) to promote mental wellbeing and publicise the 1333 suicide-prevention helpline across Sri Lanka. Branch teams supported community events and DFCC staff joined the final leg, with the CEO speaking at the closing ceremony.
Healthcare & Pharma
Ada Derana·Sep 21, 2026·Promotional / marketingPositive
Doc990, operated by Digital Health (a subsidiary of Dialog Axiata PLC), has partnered with Lassana Health to integrate Lassana's pharmacy platform into the Doc990 app and web, enabling prescription ordering and medicine delivery across the Western Province.
Kings Hospital Colombo launched Sri Lanka's first AI-powered hospital chatbot, providing 24/7 natural-language support for enquiries, doctor availability, channeling and appointments. The chatbot aims to cut phone/desk wait times, streamline bookings and improve operational efficiency while complementing staff for complex cases.
The Gates Foundation will spend at least $1 billion over the next two years to expand equitable access to artificial intelligence and AI-enabled solutions. The funding is earmarked roughly 40% for education, 40% for health, 10% for agriculture and 10% for digital foundations (languages, datasets).
The Cabinet approved 39 hospital infrastructure projects for implementation from 2027, incorporating them into the 2027-2031 Public Investment Program. It also unveiled the 'Arogya' primary-care rollout with NIC-linked e-health records (Rs.1,500m allocated in 2026) and plans to train and recruit public health nursing officers.
Construction ActivityHealthcare & PharmaIT & Digital
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake launched four hospital construction projects worth Rs.7.1bn (Rs.12bn including equipment). Projects include a Rs.4.19bn JICA‑funded cardiology unit in Trincomalee, a Rs.600m India‑funded A&E unit in Mannar, a Rs.600m ward in Mullaitivu and a >Rs.3bn cardiology unit at Anuradhapura.
EY GDS leader Bikram Dasgupta urges Sri Lankan youth to build influence by focusing on applied AI, quantum readiness and biotech-combining technology fluency, domain expertise and responsible design to solve local problems and scale solutions, supported by the National AI Strategy and nascent quantum initiatives.
A nationwide study found nearly one in four Sri Lankan adults has diabetes and almost one in three has prediabetes, with onset increasingly common in people in their thirties. The article links this trend to diet and lifestyle (including high-fat traditional meals and processed foods) and recommends early diet/lifestyle change and diabetes-specific nutritional strategies to reverse prediabetes.
Christell Luxury Wellness hosted 'Age Gracefully' at The Shoppes at City of Dreams, an event spotlighting longevity, preventive health and regenerative medicine with expert presentations and demonstrations (vitamin-level tests, hair scans) alongside luxury wellness partners.
GS1 Lanka is leading Sri Lanka’s shift to 2D barcodes under the global Sunrise 2027 initiative, with more than 5,500 member companies registered and over 20,000 product records uploaded. It is working with retail and healthcare firms and will introduce a new retail information platform to support the transition.
Consumer Staples (FMCG)Healthcare & PharmaIT & Digital
Ada Derana·Sep 15, 2026·Award or certificationPositive
Colombo Serendib Round Table 2 (CSRT2) marked its 30th anniversary, highlighting fundraising that raised over USD 2m after the Boxing Day tsunami and its "From the Heart" programme which enabled more than 25 free pediatric heart surgeries in partnership with Asiri Surgical Hospital.
A visual exhibition chronicling four decades of surgery by Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke will run 25-27 Sept at the College of Surgeons auditorium in Colombo; entrance is free. The show features more than 500 photographs, documents, clinical material and personal memorabilia on surgical practice and education in Sri Lanka.
Semax, a synthetic heptapeptide, is drawing renewed research attention for potential roles in neurotrophic (BDNF), monoamine, oxidative-stress and inflammatory signaling, with studies suggesting multifaceted neuroregulatory and metabolic effects beyond conventional peptide targets.
Ceylinco General Insurance has partnered with BNPL platform KOKO to introduce a customised medical insurance product (Ceylinco Suwa Sampatha) offering up to $40,000 cover for KOKO customers, designed for digital activation and easy access.
The Cabinet approved a $100 million ADB-backed concessional loan (Nov 2026-Oct 2031) to strengthen social protection and livelihoods in six districts. The program will fund livelihood training and Rs.200,000 start-up grants for 30,000 Aswesuma families, five adult day-care centres and digital/data and cybersecurity systems.
Healthcare & PharmaIT & Digital
Ada Derana·Sep 8, 2026·Promotional / marketing·CINSPositive
Ceylinco General Insurance has partnered with BNPL platform KOKO to launch a customised medical insurance product for KOKO customers, offering up to USD 40,000 cover under the Ceylinco Suwa Sampatha plan. The digital-first policy emphasises accessibility, affordability and easy activation within the KOKO app.
The BOI hosted the 5th Sri Lanka-Japan Business Environment Committee meeting to address operational issues faced by Japanese investors across manufacturing, consumer & health products, logistics and energy. The meeting also held the first session of a Joint Working Group on an export‑oriented industrial corridor.
Eng. Nahil Wijesuriya donated the full range of modern medical equipment to establish the National Kidney Stone Referral Centre in Meerigama, which is expected to perform more than 1,000 complex kidney stone procedures annually. Treatment will be provided free through the Ministry of Health and the centre will serve urological surgeons and patients nationwide.