The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the provision of ambulances to the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ Foundation free of charge as a grant.
According to a statement from the Department of Government Information (DGI), the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ Foundation was launched in 2016 with 297 ambulances from India’s TATA Sons Pvt. Ltd., under a grant from the Indian Government. The foundation aims to provide pre-hospital and emergency treatment services.
Currently, the foundation operates 322 ambulances, including 25 provided by the Government of Sri Lanka. To meet its goal, the foundation has identified the need for 450 ambulances and 25 backup ambulances, indicating a current shortfall of 150 ambulances.
The statement also mentioned that TATA Sons Pvt. Ltd. has agreed to provide 50 ambulances, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide 45 ambulances as a grant.
In response, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana to take the necessary steps to acquire these ambulances for the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ Foundation.
