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India-gifted ambulance service in Sri Lanka in need of critical support
By Meera Sirinivasan
An India-gifted free ambulance service in Sri Lanka, providing vital pre-hospital emergency care across the island for eight years, appears to be in need of critical support, going by a recent social media post by a public health professional.
Yasuni Manikkage, a doctor working at a Colombo-based government hospital, on Tuesday took to ‘X’ to flag a 51-year-old man’s sudden death at his residence in Colombo. “Desperately called Suwaseriya, but they did not have any available ambulances nearby. We could not save him on time. Why is funding Suwaseriya 1990 & saving lives not a priority for Lankan government?” she asked in the post that has since drawn much attention.
The delay in response time — the nearest ambulance was 30 minutes away — is uncharacteristic of the ‘Suwaseriya 1990’ service. From the time it was launched in July 2016, with a $7.56-million Indian grant, and expanded in two years with an additional $15.09 million from India, it has made a mark with its promptness and efficiency. Arguably New Delhi’s most popular project in Sri Lanka, the ambulance network has attended to about 82 lakh calls and 19 lakh medical emergencies till date, including in remote areas.
After the initial Indian grant assistance to set up the service Sri Lanka took over and has since been running it with a team of professionals working in coordination with the Ministry of Health. Over 700 of the medical technicians were trained in India initially, but following the pandemic years Sri Lanka developed its own training programme at the University of Kelaniya.
Despite the service’s reach and wide acclaim — a World Bank report called it one of the world’s most digitally advanced and free ambulance services — sustaining it is proving a challenge after Sri Lanka’s crushing financial meltdown in 2022, according to Dumindra Ratnayaka, Chairman of the Suwaseriya Foundation.
The island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis brought with it hyperinflation and a drastic rise in living costs, pushing many Sri Lankans, including thousands of medical professionals and technicians, to seek opportunities abroad. Consequently, Sri Lanka’s public health system, and the ambulance service that is part of it, are impacted. “Of our nearly 1,500 staff, we have lost 400 since 2022,” Ratnayaka said, speaking of the difficulty in finding technicians and putting them through training before they can come on board. Staff salaries are currently in the range of LKR 50,000 (roughly ? 13,800), with which an individual, let alone a family, can hardly make ends meet in Sri Lanka.
The government cannot increase salaries for just one section of public service, and it cannot afford salary hikes across the board at the moment, Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. “We have made the necessary budgetary allocation for the ambulance service. The country is stabilising, and things are improving in the health sector too,” he told The Hindu on Wednesday.
Despite the budgetary allocation, an apparent funding crunch prompted the ambulance service to seek adoption last year. Through private sector donations and corporate assistance, it has raised LKR 750 million since, but sustaining the service may need more than individual philanthropy, public health experts noted.
Of the ambulance service’s fleet of 322 vehicles, over 50 are currently offline owing to either staff shortages, or a delay in repairs. “Dimo, who are Tata’s agent here, have also lost many mechanics, they have migrated. That means the time taken to repair a vehicle has increased considerably,” Ratnayaka said, pointing to how the country’s enduring crisis manifests in many ways.
‘Suwaseriya’ is the “last thing” that should be underfunded, contended Colombo-based writer Andrew Fidel Fernando. He recalled how after an unexpected patellar dislocation last year, a call to 1990 brought swift and expert medical care to the spot. “It took barely 5 minutes for the ambulance to reach the park I was at, playing with my kids. The staff were very receptive, incredibly professional, and efficient. There aren’t too many things in Sri Lanka’s public service that I would call world class, but this ambulance service certainly is!” he said.
(The Hindu)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
