The donation of ambulances in 2016 boosted Sri Lanka’s emergency system and transformed access to healthcare in the country
In 2016, India donated 88 ambulances to Sri Lanka, strengthening the ties between the two countries.
Almost ten years later, this gesture has resulted in emergency care for around 1.5 million Sri Lankan citizens, thanks to the ambulances initially donated and those integrated into the fleet in the following years.
At the time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the delivery of the vehicles, enabling Sri Lanka to launch its first national emergency service, similar to the 911 in the United States or 999 in the United Kingdom.
“Today, the ambulance fleet has grown to 322. It is used to provide free emergency transport services across the country, day and night,” said Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health and Media, Nalinda Jayatissa, in a message to Modi last Saturday.
According to Jayatissa, official records indicate that 2.44 million people have been served by this system, with cases such as heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents. The minister highlighted that 65% of patients were in the “golden hour,” when timely treatment is critical for survival.
“This represents nearly 1.5 million lives saved so far thanks to your generosity, and it continues to save lives in Sri Lanka,” said Jayatissa.
Even before this initiative, Sri Lanka was already standing out in the region for its good performance in public health. In 2011, the country ranked in the top third of the World Economic Forum’s health system ranking among 142 nations, with a Human Development Index of 0.750.
Currently, Sri Lanka continues to lead among South Asian countries in health indicators, surpassing goals in the eradication of infectious diseases. With a life expectancy at birth of 75.5 years, about 10% above the global average, the country also ranks 5th in the World Giving Index, which measures attitudes and actions of generosity around the world.
Source and images: Good News Network / Aman Chaturvedi on Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
