Sri Lanka will set up the Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service on the lines of the Indian model of “108 Emergency Response Services.” This will be done, taking a grant of $ eight million from the Indian government. Initially, the service will be launched in Western and Southern Provinces with 88 ambulances.
Under the Indian system, those who require emergency medical attention -
pregnant women, infants, children, trauma (accidents, cardiac arrest and others) and other patients – are taken to the nearest hospital within the “golden hour,” after dialling the telephone number ‘108.’
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sought assistance from India when his counterpart Narendra Modi was here in March. Mr Modi had agreed to help Sri Lanka, as a measure of “enhancing the ties” between the two countries, an official release said, adding that GVKEMRI, the implementing agency of the service in India, would implement the first phase and train 600 persons.
The Cabinet, at its meeting on Wednesday, gave its nod to implement the ambulance service in Sri Lanka.
Rajitha Senaratne, Cabinet spokesperson, said the Cabinet had also decided to expedite negotiations on free trade agreements with European Union, United States, India, China and Singapore. Besides, it granted the approval for a “comprehensive restructuring plan” of the Sri Lankan Airlines and the amalgamation of Mihin Lanka, he added.
