According to the government, the health safety received within the first 30 minutes of an emergency is very important in order to save the life of persons who meet with accidents, a disaster or an emergency, to prevent sustaining further injuries, and to provide expeditious care.

At present such an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service is successfully being carried out in India.

On a request from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Sri Lanka in March has agreed to provide such an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service to Sri Lanka as well.

Mr Modi had agreed to help Sri Lanka, as a measure of further enhancing the relationship between the two countries, an official release said.

Accordingly it has been proposed to establish a non-profitable Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service to improve the quality health service of Sri Lanka covering the rural areas of the country with 297 Ambulances, and 2,000 trained work force under 4 stages.

The government will obtain a grant of US$ 8 million from the Indian government for the project. The first stage of the Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service will cover Western and Southern provinces with 88 ambulances.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal made by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe to implement the ambulance service.