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Programs in Seed Grants

LEAPS: Leveraging emergency ambulance potential in Sri Lanka

Photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash

Limited emergency medical transport access can significantly impact health outcomes in low-and middle-income countries. To address this obstacle, Sri Lanka launched the free “1990 Ambulance” Service in 2016, deploying 322 ambulances to handle over 1,000 daily calls. The program’s capacity can’t always keep up with high demand, especially in rural areas. This leads to delays in response times, presenting additional challenges to patients seeking care during emergencies.

This project aims to explore innovative means of expanding emergency transportation capacity. Sri Lanka has a pool of nearly 2,000 underused, facility-based ambulances, which are currently used exclusively for transferring patients between facilities. If utilized for prehospital transportation, these could help expand and support the function of the 1990 emergency response system. The project seeks to enhance efficient and reliable access across Sri Lanka by analyzing current ambulance activities and collaborating with local partners.

“We, along with our partners, hope to ensure more equitable access to quality emergency care for vulnerable populations worldwide,” said Principal Investigator Dr. Peter Acker, MD.

Principal Investigators:

Dr. Peter Acker, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Timothy Batchelor, MD, Global Emergency Medicine and Advanced Emergency Ultrasound dual Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Patrick Lanter, MD, Global Emergency Medicine Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr Samath Dharmaratne, MBBS, MSc, MD, Chair Professor of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Research Team:

Matthew Strehlow, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine; Marisa Smith, MD, Global Emergency Medicine Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine; Owen Ramberg, Medical Student, Stanford University School of Medicine; Angelica Pritchard, Senior Research Coordinator, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine; Dr. M. Nihal Weerasooriya, Provincial Director of Health Services, Central Province, Sri Lanka; Sohan de Silva, CEO 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation Ambulance Service; Dr. Srilal de Silva, MBBS, CMO, 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation Ambulance Service

Funders:

Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford Department of Emergency Medicine