The Department of Paediatrics conducts teaching activities mainly at the University Paediatric Unit of the Colombo North Teaching Hospital (CNTH) - Ragama. The General Paediatric ward cares for children with a wide range of issues including respiratory illnesses, specialised gastrointestinal problems, neurological and endocrine, growth and development issues. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit cares for extremely preterm to term newborns and those with complicated issues during antenatal period.
In addition to the medical undergraduate programme the department contributes to many postgraduate teaching programs and examinations.The academic staff members of the department are involved in many research activities.The main research interests of the Department of Paediatrics are childhood asthma, childhood disabilities, epilepsy, paediatric astroenterology, breastfeeding, growth and development.
The Department of Paediatrics was instrumental in building and setting up the 'Lama Piyasa', a safe house for victims of child abuse and neglect, now established as a ward of CNTH, Ragama.