Ministerial visit at Sri Lanka ambulance instructor training

BNU’s recent ambulance service training programme in Sri Lanka received a visit by the country’s Minister of Health and Mass Media. 

The ministerial visit took place as members of BNU’s College of Health and Society delivered their third training programme for the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation, Sri Lanka’s national pre-hospital emergency care service. 

Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa met the BNU team and senior representatives of the 1990 service, highlighting the positive impact of the collaboration on pre-hospital emergency care across the country. 

The three-day programme focused on faculty development, equipping 12 members of the 1990 training department with enhanced skills in clinical education so they can, in turn, train and mentor frontline Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) nationwide. 

Led by Professor Will Broughton and Gayan Gamage, one of the key practical elements of the training saw participants deliver short teaching sessions on core clinical topics. 

This latest programme builds on two previous BNU-led initiatives: major trauma management in 2023 and resuscitation techniques in 2024. Together, they mark a shift from one-off training to building sustainable educational capacity within the 1990 service, ensuring knowledge is embedded throughout the organisation. 

In 2025, BNU and the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising their commitment to work together on emergency care education and system development. The next planned programme, scheduled for 2026, will focus on maternity and medical emergencies in the pre-hospital setting – another critical area where skilled intervention can save lives.