Karnataka to revamp ambulance service for Covid care

Bengaluru, Nov 7 : In view of its critical role in emergencies, the ‘108’ ambulance service in Karnataka would be revamped for better Covid care, state Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Friday.
“The ambulance service will be revamped to ensure better healthcare during the golden hour in Covid times,” Sudhakar told reporters here after a review meeting with health officials and representatives of iDeCK (Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd.
iDeCK is a joint venture of the Karnataka government, the Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd (IDFC), and Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC).
“As ambulance service plays a critical role in saving lives during emergencies, I have directed the Health Department to ensure its availability even in rural areas across the state with the help of local partners,” said Sudhakar.
Admitting that the present system of the emergency service had loopholes, the minister said digital technology and global operating system would be used to regulate and streamline its operations for efficient delivery.
“Though huge amount of public money is spent on operating the ambulance fleet across the state, its service quality is not in proportionate to the cost incurred. We will use a world class system to make it a role model for other states to emulate across the country,” he said.