Wednesday Nov 11, 2026
Wednesday Nov 11, 2026
Wednesday, 11 November 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved entering into an agreement with India to secure a financial grant for the purchase of 100 new ambulances for the 1990 Suwa Seriya emergency service.
Addressing the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed during discussions with the Indian Health Minister, who is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka today (11).
He said the Government of India agreed to the grant following a special request from Sri Lanka. The ambulances will be fully equipped with medical facilities.
Responding to journalists’ questions on whether the financial assistance involves debt or restricted procurement, Dr. Jayatissa said the funds will arrive as an outright grant of Rs. 1,725.7 million.
“It is not a loan, it is received as a grant. Accordingly, tenders will be called for this,” he said.
He noted that suppliers will be selected through competitive bidding rather than direct purchase requirements.
The Cabinet Spokesman also said that the Health Ministry will recruit the necessary personnel and manage all maintenance and operations once the funds are released.
He said the proposal will address wear and tear across the service’s emergency fleet. “As these ambulances cover around 9 million kilometers annually, the likelihood of mechanical faults occurring within the existing fleet of 322 ambulances has increased,” he said.
The 1990 Suwa Seriya free-of-charge service operates 24-hours, in all districts, handling between 1,000 and 1,200 patient transport requests daily. It was launched in 2016 with Indian financial assistance and expanded countrywide in 2018.
