By Asiri FernandoCall-outs for the Suwa Seriya Ambulance service have shot up by 50% over the last week, The Sunday Morning learns.According to Suwa Seriya Foundation President Dumindra Ratnayaka, the 300-strong ambulance service has seen a marked increase in daily call-outs over the last seven days. Ratnayake shared that the increase was due to patients being unable to source private or public transport needed to get to hospitals.Medical professionals have expressed concern about patient treatment plans and emergency healthcare, as many patients are unable to travel to hospitals to seek treatment or to obtain refills of prescribed medications. Ratnayaka denied allegations that the operations of the Suwa Seriya service had been disrupted by the fuel shortage. However, he acknowledged that sourcing fuel for operations was a challenge.“We get fuel from LIOC and CPC and we have access to NTB depots in some areas as we are an essential service. While it is difficult to source fuel, we have not based our response to any request on the status of fuel yet; up to now, we have managed to answer every urgent call,” Ratnayaka stressed.He said that due to the increased call-out rate of ambulances, their response time would be affected, emphasising however that the staff were committed to their work.When asked about the funding challenges the service was facing in meeting operational expenditure, Ratnayaka said that the Treasury was providing required funds to meet operational costs. In May, The Sunday Morning reported on the funding challenges faced by the foundation, where the monthly operational cost had risen to approximately Rs. 115 million, compared to Rs. 85 million per month the previous year. At present, with soaring inflation and the increased price of fuel and other supplies, the average monthly cost may be higher.The Suwa Seriya Foundation was established in 2016 following a grant from the Government of India. Today, 1990 Suwa Seriya operates nearly 300 ambulances with over 1,400 staff members, serving every district in Sri Lanka.
