The 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation marked the tenth anniversary of Sri Lanka’s free emergency ambulance service on Friday at a ceremony at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo, held under the patronage of Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
A commemorative postage stamp and first-day cover were issued to mark the milestone, and the foundation launched a new mobile application intended to widen access to the service. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha de Silva attended, and Suwa Seriya personnel were honoured for their service over the decade.
100 more ambulances from India
Jayatissa announced an expansion of the fleet, saying arrangements had been made for a further 100 ambulances during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka and following a request from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Jha confirmed the pledge from the Indian side. “India has for years supported Sri Lanka in strengthening its public health infrastructure and emergency care system,” he said. “We are currently in the process of finalizing the necessary arrangements and delivering a new set of ambulances.” He said he hoped the additional vehicles would help cut response times to 10 minutes from what he described as the current 13 minutes.
Foundation Chairman Major Niroshan Ratnayake put the nationwide average response time at approximately 15 minutes, and said the target was to bring it below 10 minutes.
Fleet and service plans
Ratnayake said the foundation plans to expand its operational fleet to about 400 ambulances and to add deployment points, including at police stations and other strategic locations. He also confirmed plans to introduce motorcycle emergency response units in congested areas including Colombo and Gampaha, allowing trained personnel to begin treatment before an ambulance arrives.
“Behind every call is a person facing one of the most frightening moments of his or her life,” he said. “Behind every ambulance deployment is a family anxiously waiting for help. Behind every emergency response is a team of committed professionals working against time to save a life.”
A cross-party service
De Silva, who was involved in establishing the service under the previous administration, described the anniversary as a personal milestone and welcomed its continuity across changes of government.
“Many initiatives begin with fanfare and celebrations, but after a short time they simply disappear,” he said. “Just because someone else started a programme does not mean it should be stopped or changed. Suwa Seriya is the best example of that.”
He recalled April 8, 2016, when a first group of 144 people was taken to Hyderabad for training, and said the initiative had drawn criticism and hostility at the outset.
Jayatissa credited those who built the service, saying many had worked to turn the concept into reality a decade ago, “beginning with our friend Harsha de Silva and numerous political representatives who contributed to its success.”
Suwa Seriya was established on July 28, 2016 with Indian government assistance and now runs round the clock islandwide on the 1990 hotline. It opened a new head office at Horton Place, Colombo 07, in April.
