President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced a major overhaul of the country’s emergency medical transport network in the 2027 Budget Speech delivered in Parliament today (12).
Sri Lanka’s emergency response has long relied on an aging fleet, with 400 ambulances in the state health service on the road for more than two decades, and about half of them older than 25 years. To retire these vehicles, the Budget proposes an allocation of Rs. 3,000 million in 2027 to replace them with new ambulances.
The domestic investment will be supported by assistance from development partners. Within the next year, the state health sector will receive 45 new vehicles, comprising 25 ambulances funded through Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan assistance and 20 donated through a grant from the Government of Japan, coordinated with the ADB.
The 1990 Suwa Seriya emergency service is also set for a major expansion. Currently operating 319 ambulances, it will add 100 new units in 2027, backed by Rs. 1,725 million in grant assistance from India.
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