9 April 2016 05:00 pm
The deputy Minister broke down emotionally, at a ceremony to hand over appointment letters to 144 Sri Lankan youth who are to be sent to India for a training course on emergency medical aid.
“Many ridiculed us and criticized us when we decided to go ahead with this ambulance service stating we are going to get down RAW personnel here while others said we were going to recruit Indians.
“However I would like to tell these who came up with these criticisms and allegations that Sri Lankan people are the ultimate winners,” he said
“Please forgive me. This kind of thing had not happened to me before,” the Deputy Minister said referring to the emotional moments he went through during his speech.
Further he assured that the project would be a totally state owned one.
Stating that the ambulance service would be launched in Western and Southern provinces initially he said it would be extended to other provinces later. He therefore urged Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to support the government in ensuring this endeavor a success.
Director General Health Dr Palitha Mahipala said the ambulance service would be a great help to Sri Lanka where an average of eight people die of road accidents daily while 17 die of other kinds of accidents. (Yohan Perera)