WB praises ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ ambulance service

The ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’ ambulance service in Sri Lanka has come in for high praise from the World Bank with the WB describing it as one of the world’s most digitally advanced, efficient and free ambulance services that has given a second chance at life to  millions of critically ill or injured persons.

World Bank Group’s South Asia Region Vice President Martin Raiser said the Suwa Seriya ambulance has rushed patients to the nearest hospital or primary care facility within 12 minutes of their call, one of the fastest response rates in the world for an ambulance service.

“In these seven years, Suwa Seriya has saved countless lives-providing citizens the highest level of pre-hospital care, reducing complications caused by delayed care, and enabling them to get back into the workforce in record time- making a positive contribution to the country’s economy”.

Raiser states the service was particularly indispensable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Suwa Seriya transporting close to 175,000 COVID-19 patients to the hospital. Initially confined to cities today, 63 percent of Suwa Seriya’s emergency calls are from rural residents.

According to Raiser, the growth of Suwa Seriya is a testament to homegrown innovation and local funding.  The technology that drives the service was all developed through Sri Lanka’s software development community. Since its launch in 2016, 1.8 million Sri Lankan citizens in distress have dialled 1990.

Raiser further said “established through a dedicated Act of Parliament in 2018, 1990 Suwa Seriya is a government entity that operates with the agility and independence of a private sector organization, resulting in remarkable efficiency and setting new standards for government-delivered services. I remember first hearing about this service when I met with MP Harsha De Silva—he described the project as a testament to the power of bipartisan support, above the political fray and focused uniquely on saving lives”.

To enable this single pointed focus, 1990 Suwa Seriya’s operation is end-to-end process driven, with technology as its backbone. We see that in its commitment to continuous improvement-from its logistical operations on how to fuel ambulances in record time and its R&D on how to integrate Artificial Intelligence into its emergency response system, to keeping an eye on continuous learning for staff on new systems and technologies and finding innovative funding streams so as to not strain public finances. Being governed by a board comprised predominantly of private sector volunteers and insulated from the typical constraints of public sector operations helps the organization make swift, informed decisions that are crucial for saving lives.

We know that digitization is a game changer for South Asia. 1990 Suwa Seriya has tapped into this potential by leading digital innovation in health and emergency services. Its trademark speed and efficiency come from digital integration into its processes and operations-from using specific algorithms to identify the fastest (not the nearest) ambulance that can be deployed to an emergency, to tracking callers’ locations through an app, to digitally tracking fuel levels in its vehicles.

By filling a critical gap in pre-hospital care and improving connectivity between emergency ambulance service and primary care facilities, 1990 Suwa Seriya is strengthening Sri Lanka’s primary healthcare system and giving a second chance at life to the millions who are critically injured”.

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