1990 Suwa Seriya launched its new Emergency Dispatch Management (EDM) System and the unique 1990 Mobile App to enable faster dispatching and management of ambulance movements.
The 1990 App which is available for both Android and iOS phones will enable persons with smart phones to call the service faster and easily by just a touch of one button. This Mobile App will also capture the location of the caller more accurately enabling the ambulance to reach the patient faster. All this is being initiated to provide the most reliable and efficient free ambulance service to Sri Lankans even in the furthest parts of the country.
Reducing the response time through the new EDM system and the 1990 App will specifically help patients suffering cardiac arrests and stroke. It has been found through research that every minute of reduced response time increases the chances of survival by approximately 10%.
Currently, the average response time for 1990 ambulance service is 8 minutes and 23 seconds in the Western Province and 11 minutes and 25 seconds in the rest of the country, which is comparable to or better than most developed countries.
“The introduction of the new EDM System and the 1990 App further confirms our continued commitment to save lives” said Harsha de Silva, Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, the chief architect in securing this very significant project for the people of this country. He requested people with smart phones to download the app the soonest.
“This service is an outright grant by the Indian Government and we are thankful for their generosity to save precious lives of Sri Lankan people through this service” said Dr. Harsha de Silva. He elaborated that there are no conditions attached to this USD 22.5m grant as wrongly communicated by persons with vested interests.
In 2018, the operations of the service was transferred to the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation created by an Act of Parliament. The foundation is totally owned by the Government of Sri Lanka and operates under the Ministry of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution. Board of the foundation is appointed by the President. Currently 1,428 young Sri Lankan men and women are employed by the Foundation.
“The significance of this new system is that it makes us second to none in emergency dispatch systems anywhere in the world. It is also important to state that the development of the technology was provided free of charge and some aspects at a nominal cost by Sri Lankan software companies” said Dumindra Ratnayaka, Chairman of the Board of the Suwa Seriya Foundation.
“As at 3rd May, 2019 we have answered 1,057,571 number of calls, dispatched 199,997 number of ambulances for emergencies and have had 174,555 hospital admissions” confirmed Sohan de Silva, CEO of the 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service.
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