Emergency services company to invest here

Emergency Services Company, Falck (Denmark) has acquired 50 percent of Sri Lankan Emergency Medical Services (EMS) company, Med1 (Pvt) Limited. Med1 plans to launch emergency medical response services in the Colombo area by the end of 2012.

"The partnership between Med1 and Falck not only enables us to implement a high-class emergency ambulance service in Colombo; it will also ensure we have the future resources and capacity required to expand our coverage across Sri Lanka. Our goal is to implement a reliable, high quality service that is also affordable," said Med1 CEO Donnie Woodyard Jr. Falck's initial investment will be focused on operationalising EMS in Colombo.

This will include further development of Med1's, 24-hour, trilingual despatching centre, putting a modern fleet of European standard ambulances and response vehicles on the road, and hiring and training hundreds of new medical care providers to offer international quality medical care in Sri Lanka.

"The goal is to give Sri Lankans peace of mind, knowing that during a medical emergency, help is only a phone call away, "said Woodyard.

"With the system we are setting up, that peace of mind can become a reality. By simply making a short phone call to our hotline, you can have highly trained professionals, prepared to begin immediate treatment, at your door within minutes.

For many, this can mean the difference between life and death."

"We are pleased to partner with the founders of Med1 in Sri Lanka and are looking forward to quickly provide high quality emergency medical services in case of sickness or injuries in Sri Lanka," said Falck Executive Vice President, EMS Europe and Asia Falck Executive Vice President, EMS Europe and Asia Anders Delcomyn Larsen. Med1 is a BOI-approved company established in 2011 to implement international standard Emergency Medical Services in Sri Lanka. Med1's current offerings include: medical and first aid training, a public access defibrillation program, and a 24-hour, trilingual first aid advice line.

The Chairman and Director General of the BOI, M.M.C Ferdinando said this agreement is a very important one for Sri Lanka as it will introduce the country and her people to a standard of world class out of hospital health service."

"As many will appreciate, Falck, which is the partner and shareholder of the investor Med 1, is one of the world leaders in emergency ambulance services.

Hence this agreement with the BOI is very significant since it will contribute in bringing health services in the country up to international standards, in this vital area."

Falck is one of the world leaders in their field, having a presence in 35 countries globally. It is already one of the main companies in Europe for emergency ambulance services. Falck own 50% of Med 1, which signed an agreement with the BOI and it is a very positive fact that recently they have publicly stated that Sri Lanka will be their entry point in Asia. I will also add that emergency ambulance services are a vital part of any modern medical systems and therefore expect that once this service begins, it will impact very positively on key economic sectors such as tourism, trade and investment.