Karnataka minister says 108 ambulance service to be restructured by December
Health Minister UT Khader told people to use hospital ambulances for two months as a fresh tender is planned; the state has about 400 ambulances against a need of 750.
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader has said the state's 108 ambulance service will be restructured under a fresh tender process, with improvements promised by December, ETV Bharat reported on October 14.
The minister urged people not to depend entirely on the existing service for the next two months and to use ambulances available at government hospitals where needed. He said ambulances currently take between 45 minutes and an hour to reach some locations. According to the report, the state has around 400 ambulances against an estimated requirement of 750, and about 1,000 ambulances attached to government hospitals could also support patients.
Khader said ambulance personnel are employees of the service provider, GVK, and that accountability for service failures would be fixed on the company rather than automatically on individual staff. He said the government would not be "blackmailed or intimidated" by the strike threat.
Union demands
The Suvarna Karnataka Arogya Kavacha Employees' Union had sought annual salary revisions, a uniform salary structure instead of zone-based pay, adequate staffing and ambulance arrangements for all three shifts, and Rs 50 lakh compensation for families of employees who die in accidents. The report adds that the employees called off the proposed strike after talks with Health Department officials, who said the demands would be discussed with the minister.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
A fresh tender could change who operates the 108 service and on what terms in Karnataka.
Read the full report at the source: ETV Bharat
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.