No link between ETCA and Indian Ambulance project: Harsha

By Uditha Jayasinghe 

Amid mounting criticism Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday issued an open invitation to the private sector to partner with the proposed ambulance service with India, which is expected to start in mid-2016, to allay fears of Sub Continent interest in Sri Lanka. 

Returning a salvo fired by the Joint Opposition that local businesses should be given the opportunity to run an island wide ambulance service Dr. de Silva pointed out that despite the opportunity existing for many years no private sector company had yet come forward. 

“I’m calling on all private sector stakeholders to partner with us. If 20 of the top companies donate 10 ambulances each then we would have 200 more ambulances and this program can be expanded around the island,” he told reporters.

Dr. de Silva used the example of tragic vehicle accidents that claim an estimated seven Sri Lankans daily to bolster his argument for the proposal that is done on a grant with India. The service to be run by the Hyderabad-based GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) with a grant of $ 7.6 million from the Indian government.

Playing the television broadcast of the three-wheeler accident that killed three school children on Monday the Deputy Minister insisted such tragedies could be minimised if Sri Lanka’s public had access to an ambulance service. 

“Currently only the rich can afford ambulances in Sri Lanka and they can easily access them from private hospitals. Select Government hospitals have ambulances but they are usually used to transport severely ill patients from one hospital to another. The sad truth is there is no ambulance service available to the public,” he said.  “This is an effort to save lives. Please join us.”

The GVK system is the world’s largest ambulance service and would transfer expertise to as many as 600 Sri Lankans to be employed to run 88 ambulances in the Western and Southern Provinces. Presently the agreement between Colombo and New Delhi is valid for one year after which the service could be extended if it is found to have been useful, Dr. de Silva said. Having the financial backing of local private companies will assist in the sustainability of the project and help to expand it countrywide earlier, he opined. 

Insisting there is no link between the ambulance project and the controversial Economic and Technical Agreement (ETCA) he called on the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) to support the effort as compassionate professionals. He also denied the grant was to sweeten the ETCA deal, which will be discussed when a special team from India arrives in Colombo later this week.