COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved entering into an agreement with India to secure a financial grant to procure 100 new ambulances for the 1990 Suwa Seriya service, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa announced on Tuesday (10).
Jayatissa said he presented the proposal to address wear and tear across the emergency fleet.
“As these ambulances cover approximately 9 million kilometres annually, the likelihood of mechanical faults occurring within the existing fleet of 322 ambulances has increased.”
The service operates free of charge 24 hours a day across all districts, handling between 1,000 and 1,200 patient transport requests daily.
Launched in 2016 with Indian financial assistance and expanded island-wide in 2018, the service sought support to replenish ageing vehicles.
“In response to a special request made by the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of India has agreed to provide a financial grant to facilitate the procurement of 100 new ambulances, fully equipped with medical facilities, for use by the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ service.”
Answering questions from journalists on whether the assistance involves debt or restricted procurement, Jayatissa confirmed the funds will arrive as an outright grant rather than a loan.
“It is received as a grant of 1,725.7 million Sri Lankan rupees. It is not a loan; it is received as a grant. Accordingly, tenders will be called for this,” Jayatissa said, noting that suppliers will be selected through competitive bidding rather than direct purchase requirements.
He added that Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health will recruit the necessary personnel and manage all maintenance and operations once the funds are released.
-economynext.com
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