Jerome Fernando’s 1,500-bed facility in Katunayake is planned as accommodation for visitors, rather than a conventional medical hospital.
A planned 1,500-bed facility at Miracle Dome City in Katunayake has generated discussion over whether the project is intended to operate as a medical hospital or provide accommodation for people attending the ministry’s healing services.
The scale of the proposal is substantial. The planned number of beds exceeds the nearly 1,100-bed capacity cited for Kalubowila Hospital, one of Sri Lanka’s main government teaching hospitals.
Available information about the project, however, describes the facility as accommodation rather than a conventional clinical hospital. Jerome Fernando has said it is intended to house people travelling long distances to attend services at the Miracle Dome.
A 1,500-bed accommodation plan
The facility is planned for Miracle Dome City, being developed on land adjoining the existing Miracle Dome premises in Katunayake.
Fernando has said people travel from different parts of Sri Lanka, as well as from overseas, to attend healing services. The proposed accommodation is intended particularly for those travelling from distant areas who may find it difficult to return home immediately.
In a published interview discussing the project, Fernando described plans for a 1,500-bed accommodation facility with washrooms and a kitchen, with accommodation to be provided free of charge.
How financial support is being raised
Financial contributions from local and international supporters are already being sought for the project.
Under the ministry’s “Pledge A Bed” fundraising programme:
- The stated contribution value for one bed, inclusive of infrastructure costs, is Rs. 500,000.
- Contributions can be made using Sri Lankan and foreign payment cards.
- The programme presents the facility as part of the ministry’s broader effort to provide accommodation and support for people attending its activities.
The ministry’s official fundraising page describes the contribution as being towards a bed at the 1,500-bed Miracle Dome City facility.
Environmental allegations and field inspection
Questions have also been raised on social media about the environmental impact of the wider Miracle Dome City development.
A group of civil society representatives recently visited the project site following those claims.
Civil society representative Sanjaya Mahawatta said after the visit that the conditions observed on the property differed from allegations circulating online. He said the group had seen environmental protection and preservation measures during its inspection.
Mahawatta also described the 1,500-bed development as accommodation and care for people who are poor and suffering from illness.
His observations represent the findings expressed by the visiting group and do not, by themselves, constitute a formal environmental clearance or regulatory determination.
Miracle Dome City expands existing complex
The existing Miracle Dome auditorium in Katunayake opened in 2023 and has a capacity of more than 5,000 seats, making it one of the larger indoor auditoriums in Sri Lanka.
Fernando has previously faced legal investigations relating to sermons and religious content. After returning to Sri Lanka from overseas, he appeared in connection with those proceedings.
Miracle Dome City is now planned as a broader infrastructure and residential development alongside the ministry’s religious activities.
Based on the project information currently available, the proposed 1,500-bed component is being presented by Fernando and his ministry as an accommodation facility for people attending its services, rather than as a conventional hospital providing full clinical treatment.
