Opposition MP Harsha de Silva has criticized the Sri Lanka Police’s emergency hotline system, drawing comparisons with the Suwa Seriya 1990 free ambulance service.
In a post on ‘X’, he noted that Suwa Seriya has managed roughly 5,000 calls per day for over seven years, more than the 4,500 calls the police claim to handle, and that 98.9% of those calls are answered on the first ring.
He further highlighted Suwa Seriya’s average nationwide response time of 13 minutes, compared to what he described as the police’s 180-minute delay.
Harsha de Silva credited Suwa Seriya’s efficiency to its digital systems, strict protocols, and above all, the attitude of its staff, adding, “We will teach you how to do it if you are humble enough to learn”.
His remarks came in response to Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala’s recent admission that he receives daily complaints about delays in responses to 119 calls.
Wijepala revealed that he personally contacted the 118 National Help Desk hotline after a complainant alleged that no action had been taken even three hours after reporting an incident to 119.
The Minister said he advised the complainant to formally report the delay, acknowledging widespread public frustration with the system. (Newswire)