[3] The hospital carries out 5,000 major and minor surgeries each month and treats over two million out patients a year.

[5][7] Governor Henry George Ward's administration set aside £3,000 to establish the hospital.

[5] When the Colombo Medical School was established in 1870 it was based at the hospital's female surgical ward.

[17] The College of Physiotherapy and the School of Radiology, both affiliated with the General Hospital, were founded in 1957.

[17] The Bandaranaike Building (administration and surgery) was opened on 2 February 1958 by Prime Minister S. W. R. D.

[19] Ceylon's first intensive care unit was opened in the Surgical Complex by Minister of Health E. L. Senanayake on 16 June 1968.

[20] The Burn Unit started on 28 October 1974 in Lady de Soysa Ward.

[21] In 1979 the Sri Lankan and Finnish governments entered into an agreement to renovate the General Hospital, with 85% of the funding coming from Finns.

[19] The Medical Ward Complex was opened by President Chandrika Kumaratunga on 1 February 1995.

[22] On 31 January 1996 the hospital had to treat 1,200 victims of the Colombo Central Bank bombing.

[22] The Neurotrauma Unit, funded by the Saudi Arabian government, was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 31 March 2011.