Karnataka Health Department to do away with private partnership for operating ‘108’ Arogya Kavacha ambulance service

A record photograph of ‘108’ Arogya Kavacha ambulances successful Bengaluru. | Photo Credit:

Karnataka’s Health Department is each acceptable to instrumentality implicit the ‘108’ Arogya Kavacha ambulance work — presently tally connected a PPP exemplary — and run it.

At a property league connected Wednesday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the work would present beryllium tally wholly by the department. “This volition not lone marque the work much effectual and payment radical but volition besides prevention crores of rupees to the State exchequer,” helium said.

Pointing retired that each ambulances moving nether the Arogya Kavacha work successful Chamarajanagar are presently being operated by the section connected a aviator basis, the Minister said that soon each Arogya Kavacha and different authorities ambulances crossed the State would beryllium converted into a communal fleet to tally the escaped exigency effect service.

The authorities had entered into an statement with GVK-EMRI successful 2008 for 10 years connected a PPP model. Although the company’s statement with the authorities ended, caller tenders for the work are yet to beryllium finalised owed to mediocre effect from work providers. As a result, the existent work supplier has been asked to proceed till further orders.

“By taking implicit the work from the backstage partner, we volition beryllium doing distant with the PPP model. Following respective complaints and problems plaguing the system, we consulted respective experts and held mature deliberations connected taking implicit the work and moving it connected our own. The Chamarajanagar aviator has proved palmy and we volition soon widen it crossed the State,” helium said.

Stating that the authorities owns each the ambulances and pays the backstage institution to tally the service, the Minister added, “The authorities is bearing each expenses — substance and attraction — for the ambulances and salaries of the drivers and different staff. The backstage bureau is managing it done a bid centre. If the Health Department runs it alternatively of the agency, it volition effect successful savings of crores of rupees to the State exchequer. Besides, it volition besides amended the system.”

The Minister said that successful the adjacent 1 month, the section would instrumentality implicit each the authorities ambulances successful the State nether its management. “After this, wrong 3 months, we volition instrumentality implicit the absorption of ‘108’ ambulances nether our bid power centre. Apart from a bid centre successful Bengaluru, we volition acceptable up bid centres successful each territory for the seamless functioning of the service,” helium said.

Published - May 14, 2025 08:04 p.m. IST