Cabinet approves MoU with India for 100 new Suwa Seriya ambulances

Daily Mirror, EconomyNext and Newswire report that Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal for an agreement with India to finance the purchase of 100 new ambulances for the 1990 Suwa Seriya emergency service. Newswire says the proposal followed a specific request from the Sri Lankan government.

EconomyNext reports that Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa put the grant at 1,725.7 million Sri Lankan rupees and clarified that it is grant funding, not borrowing. EconomyNext says procurement will proceed through competitive tenders rather than a direct supplier arrangement. It also reports that the Health Ministry will hire staff and take responsibility for upkeep and operations once the money is released.

EconomyNext and Newswire report that the service’s existing 322 ambulances cover roughly nine million kilometres each year and have seen more mechanical problems amid that heavy use. The outlets say the free service runs all day and night in every district and responds to approximately 1,000 to 1,200 patient transport requests per day.

EconomyNext and Newswire report that the service started in 2016 with Indian financial support and was extended across the island in 2018. Newswire says Jayatissa expected the agreement to be signed during discussions with India’s health minister, who was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on November 11.