CH NEWS, BENGALURU
Critical emergency healthcare operations across Karnataka face imminent disruption as 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulance employees announced plans to shut down operations and resign en masse starting Tuesday night.
The drastic measure follows the expiration of a fifteen-day ultimatum issued to the Health Department and the state government to resolve longstanding service grievances. Union representatives expressed intense dismay over official inaction, noting that authorities failed to address core employee demands despite repeated warnings. The charter of demands includes annual wage increments, a standardized statewide pay scale, timely salary disbursements, and adequate accident compensation coverage for operational crews.
Staff confirmed that if the government does not address their concerns by Tuesday evening, all emergency vehicle operations will halt after 8:00 p.m. Over three thousand drivers and emergency medical technicians across all districts, including Bengaluru, are preparing to submit collective resignation letters.
The impending shutdown threatens to trigger an acute public health crisis, leaving critical trauma victims, pregnant women, and emergency patients without vital transport across rural and urban centers. Urging senior ministers and administrative heads to intervene before the deadline expires, the association affirmed that while workers regret the inconvenience caused to citizens, severe economic hardship has left them with no alternative. Health authorities are facing mounting pressure to initiate conciliation talks to avert a complete collapse of lifesaving emergency services.
