India has agreed to provide a grant for 100 new, fully equipped ambulances for Sri Lanka’s 1990 Suwa Seriya National Emergency Ambulance Service, after the Cabinet of Ministers approved an agreement on Tuesday.
The Cabinet approved a proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India to obtain the grant. India agreed to the funding after a special request from the Sri Lankan government.
Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told the post-Cabinet media briefing that the agreement will be signed during talks with the Indian Health Minister, who is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday. The Cabinet approved the proposal he submitted.
The government says the existing fleet of 322 ambulances is under heavy strain. Together the vehicles cover about nine million kilometres a year, which has led to more mechanical faults and wear and tear, according to the Cabinet proposal.
The new vehicles are expected to strengthen that fleet. The Cabinet papers did not state a delivery date or the value of the grant.
Background
The 1990 Suwa Seriya service was launched in 2016 with a financial grant from the Indian government. It was expanded to cover the whole island in 2018.
The service is free of charge and operates around the clock in every district. It currently handles between 1,000 and 1,200 patient transport cases a day, the government said.
Patients, or people calling on their behalf, reach the service by dialling the three-digit emergency number 1990. The ambulances are used for emergencies such as road accidents, sudden illness and complications in pregnancy.
What it means
For patients and their families, the extra vehicles are meant to ease pressure on an ageing fleet that is on the road for long hours every day. Ambulances that break down are not available for emergency calls, so replacing worn vehicles bears directly on how many calls can be answered.
The grant also means the cost of the vehicles will not fall on the Sri Lankan treasury, although the government has not yet published the value of the assistance. Further details are expected once the MoU is signed with the Indian Health Minister.
