India-Assisted Emergency Ambulance Service Launched
Key Highlights of Ambulance Service
Service was earlier introduced in 2 provinces of Sri Lanka w⟋grant assistance from India & it will now be expanded to remaining 7 provinces.
In total, India has given grant of $ 22.8 million- $ 7.6 million for 1st phase & $ 15.2 million for countrywide expansion.
Under 1st phase, 88 ambulances were purchased for 2 provinces while another 209 ambulances will be provided to cover all districts in country.
This is largest Indian grant project in Sri Lanka after Indian housing project.
Besides providing ambulances, grant covers training of manpower in India & meeting operational costs for one year.
Background on India՚s Help with Emergency Services in Sri Lanka
India launched emergency ambulance service in July, 2016 for western & southern provinces of Sri Lanka thru outright grant of USD 7.6 million to uplift & improve medical facilities in island.
Agreement was signed for same b⟋w Indian entity, GVK EMRI Lanka Pvt. Ltd & Sri Lankan Ministry of Health Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine.
Request for assistance for setting up emergency ambulance service in Sri Lanka was received during PM Modi՚s visit to country in March 2015.
After visit, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe wrote to India for support for setting up of emergency ambulance service & its operations for 1st year.
Decision was fully formalised in September 2015 during visit of Wickremesinghe to India.
Project is another milestone in wide-ranging development partnership b⟋w India & Sri Lanka.
Overall, India՚s development portfolio in Sri Lanka is nearly USD 2.6 billion, out of which USD 436 million is pure grants.