The Emergency Ambulance Service was launched in the Eastern Province in a special ceremony held in Ampara. Daya Gamage, Minister of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment, Dr Harsha de Silva, Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution, Anoma Gamage, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka and other dignitaries graced the occasion.
With this, the island-wide expansion of the Emergency Ambulance Service is complete. The service is now available in all nine Provinces of Sri Lanka
Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, addressed the gathering through a special video message. He recalled his personal connect with the project since its inception. Dr S Jaishankar noted that the service has become a brand in itself. He recalled how the service had helped Sri Lanka during floods and the recent terrorist attacks. He pointed out that the project was a great example of what both India and Sri Lanka can achieve together
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka, addressing the gathering, stated that the project symbolizes the spirit of India, which is nothing but the spirit of sharing. He also further stated that India will forever remain the ‘First Responder for Sri Lanka’. The emergency ambulance service, which can be obtained by dialing the toll free number ‘1990’ on any network in Sri Lanka, is the largest Indian grant project in Sri Lanka after the Indian Housing Project.
