Rebranding in the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service in Storm

Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe has issued a strong response to a statement by Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva regarding the government’s decision to rebrand the Suwa Seriya ambulance service.

The Deputy Minister stressed that, as of now, Dr. Harsha de Silva has no clear political future, nor a defined party, leadership role, or assured vote base.

He further noted that the MP appears limited to a few speeches in the Committee on Public Finance and in Parliament, and that it seems to him the MP is trying in various ways to attract media attention. He made these remarks while answering questions from journalists.

The Deputy Minister said it is well known to the public that, with the full support of the present government and the introduction of innovations, the Suwa Seriya ambulance service has made significant progress this year, and that it is functioning very successfully.

Reminding MP Harsha de Silva that Suwa Seriya is not anyone’s personal property, the Deputy Minister emphasised that it is a national project established with financial assistance from the Government of India and with the intervention of the Government of Sri Lanka. He added that no individual can claim ownership of a national project.

He went on to say that responsibility for the future success of this program lies with the current government, and that its effectiveness should be measured by the quality of service delivered to the people. Any criticism, he concluded, is only valid if it correctly identifies actual shortcomings in the service.