Cabinet approves grant for ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the provision of ambulances to the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ Foundation, free of charge, as a grant. 

The Department of Government Information (DGI) issued a statement highlighting that the foundation, initiated in 2016 with 297 ambulances from India’s TATA Sons Pvt. Ltd under a grant from the Indian Government, aims to provide pre-hospital and emergency treatment services.

Currently, the foundation operates 322 ambulances, including 25 provided by the Sri Lankan Government. However, the foundation has identified the need for 450 ambulances and 25 backup ambulances, indicating a current shortfall of 150 ambulances.

To address this, TATA Sons Pvt. Ltd has agreed to provide 50 ambulances, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will supply 45 ambulances as a grant. 

The Cabinet has endorsed a proposal by Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana to take the necessary steps to acquire these additional ambulances for the foundation.