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Ambulances unregistered with DMT, used in healthcare!

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It is reported that private hospitals in the country are currently using many ambulances that are not registered with the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT).

‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ learns that the ambulance service of the International Medical Care in Maharagama (IMC) or RSK CARE is using unregistered ambulances.

Upon inquiring from its owner – Mr. Ranjith Susantha Karunaratne, he said that the company has one ambulance registered with the DMT as well as 02 unregistered ones. 

He said that documentation has begun to register one of the 02 unregistered ambulances.

He further said:

“We have the largest number of original ambulances…most ambulances in Sri Lanka are converted and unregistered. We have 08 ambulances with LW-numbers…”

In the meantime, Mr. Karunaratne said that they had also taken over two ambulances owned by Rev. Elle Gunawansa Thero, on a long term basis.

He also claimed to have bought an ambulance (LW-0485) belonging to a Buddhist monk in Matara while entering into a pact to obtain another ambulance (LW-0188) owned by the same monk.

Mr. Karunaratne also added that 02 ambulances of the IMC have been seized by the leasing companies. One has been recovered while the other remains unrecovered due to a high monetary amount which is required to be paid to release the vehicle.

Unregistered ambulances at St. John Ambulance Service

‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ also discovered that the St. John Ambulance Service also has an ambulance that is not registered with the DMT.

Upon contacting the service’s commissioner – Dr. Nilam, he said that there was no such unregistered ambulance and said that keeping such an ambulance would not be legit.

However, when inquiring from the Colombo District Commissioner of St. John’s Ambulance Service, Mr. M.D.P.D. Senanayake, who is said to be in charge of the said ambulance, said that although they do actually have an unregistered ambulance, it is not being used to transport patients.

Instead, it is used for training purposes, he said.

However, it was reported that the ambulance in question was used to transport students who were injured during school rugby matches during the last season.

Also, it is reported that this ambulance is currently at the house of an additional district commissioner of St. John Ambulance Service, with his father working as the driver.

Meanwhile, it is also reported that several private ambulance services including Roanim, Royal and King’s also have unregistered ambulances.

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SL embassy in Tehran, relocated – Vijitha

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The Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran, Iran has been relocated amid the prevailing situation, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Parliament today (June 17).

Embassy officials have also been moved due to the situation. In addition to embassy staff, eight Sri Lankan students who had been at the Embassy in Tehran have also been relocated to the northern part of Iran due to security concerns. 

However, all contact numbers remain operational, the minister added.

Herath said that approximately 35 Sri Lankans remain in Iran, with those residing in Tehran currently facing heightened risks. He also pointed out that nearly 20,000 Sri Lankans are presently in Israel.

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No risk of a fuel shortage – Nalinda

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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has assured that there is no risk of an impending fuel shortage in the country due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

Speaking during the Cabinet briefing earlier today (June 17), he assured that Sri Lanka currently has adequate fuel reserves to meet national demand for at least two and a half months and and that necessary arrangements have been made to procure upcoming fuel shipments without any issues.

He urged the public not to be misled by such claims on social media.

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Internal Affairs Unit is established in Parliament

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In line with the vision to build a transparent and corruption-free public service, the Secretary General of Parliament has taken steps to establish an “Internal Affairs Unit” in Parliament in accordance with the circular PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued by the Presidential Secretariat on 18 February 2025.

The newly established unit aims to achieve several key objectives, including the prevention of corruption, promotion of a culture of integrity, ensuring accountability and transparency in all institutional operations, and guaranteeing public access to information related to parliamentary activities and decisions. Additionally, the unit will work to promote ethical governance, encourage reporting of misconduct, protect whistleblowers through secure and accessible mechanisms, and assist law enforcement agencies and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in enforcing relevant laws.

Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, has been appointed as the Head of the Internal Affairs Unit, while Mr. W.K.D.C. Vithana has been designated as the Integrity Officer. All department heads of Parliament will serve as members of the unit, supported by a dedicated team representing all departments.

The unit held its inaugural meeting on June 6, 2025, under the leadership of Mr. Kularatne. The meeting focused on discussing the implementation procedures in accordance with the directives outlined in the circular.

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