Air ambulance service between Maldives and Sri Lanka from March
Daily FT: Air Ambulance service between the Maldives and Sri Lanka is to commence from March, the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Aviation has said.
In this connection a special discussion took place between Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and the Maldives Transport and Aviation Services Minister Capt. Mohamed Ameen recently.
The Ministry said the service would enable Maldivian citizens to promptly arrive in Sri Lanka for urgent medical treatment in cases of accidents, illnesses, and other health emergencies. Previously, Maldivian citizens were transported to India for emergency medical care.
“However, considering the quality of emergency treatment in Sri Lanka, the Maldivian Government has decided to direct such patients to Sri Lankan hospitals in the future,” the Maldivian Transport and Aviation Services Minister was quoted as saying by the Ministry.
After extensive discussions between the Ministers, it was agreed to launch an air ambulance service between Maldives and the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport from 1 March this year, as part of phase one of the programme.
Minister de Silva has granted all necessary approvals to the airport officials and the Civil Aviation Authority for this. Additionally, he instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, to establish a dedicated unit at the airport and ensure it is equipped with all essential facilities. It was also decided during the discussions to initiate a similar service between Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana, and Male in the future.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Maldives in Sri Lanka Fathimath Ghina, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka Chairman G.S. Withanage and its Director General P.A. Jayakantha also attended the discussions.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean has provided many unique business/investment opportunities for the country. The air ambulance service between Sri Lanka and Maldives is one such venture. Sri Lanka’s bilateral and trade ties with countries in the Asian, especially South Asian region, presents many business/investment opportunities covering all key economic sectors. With Sri Lanka working towards becoming an emerging business destination in the South Asian region, foreign businesses/investors could explore the expanding opportunities in Sri Lanka. The growing business potential in Sri Lanka presents lucrative business/investment opportunities for foreign businesses/investors looking at entering the Asian economy.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20240214/Z_8 |