India-SriLanka
1990 Suwa Seriya: India's life-saving gift to Sri Lanka turns 6
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s free ambulance service 1990 Suwa Seriya, which was provided to the Island Nation under Indian grant assistance, completed six years of its service on Friday.
The service was launched in 2016.
The project initiated by former minister Dr. Harsha de Silva became reality as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided a health package in the form of a grant of USD 7.6 million at a time when Sri Lanka was facing an acute shortage of ambulances, reports Newswire.
Initially, the hospitals of the Western and the Sabaragamuwa provinces were given the much-needed ambulances and the project was methodically started with a fleet of 88 ambulances.
Celebrating the anniversary of Suwa Seriya that was marked yesterday, MP Harsha de Silva was quoted as saying by Newswire the project has been a huge success thus far, with 5.4 million calls and 1.2 million emergency and critical care admissions.
He also congratulated the Chairman of the Suwa Seriya organization Dumindra Ratnayake and his team of 1500 staff.
Dr. Harsha de Silva also extended his gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the successful implementation and operations of the free ambulance service.
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