Bengaluru
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the state government will take over management of 108 ambulances from the control of private agencies. Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, the Minister said that 108 ambulances were being operated by private agencies till now.
There were many problems in this system. Hence, the state government has made all preparations for the management of 108 ambulances from now on, and a trial operation has already been successfully conducted in Chamarajanagar district.
The 108 ambulance service is very important in protecting the health of the public. The management of this service by a private agency was not being done properly. Even though the government paid money to the agency, the salaries of the ambulance staff were not being paid on time. The government had to intervene many times and solve the problem of ambulance drivers. Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that all these problems can be solved by the government managing it itself.
The government used to pay everything from diesel and petrol to the salaries of the drivers. The private agency was managing it through only one command center. If the health department runs it instead of the agency, the government's exchequer will save hundreds of crores.
This decision has been taken because it can also improve the system. In the next month, the department will take all the state ambulances in the state under its management.
Within three months, the Health Department will take over the management of 108 ambulances under its command control center, he said. Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a command center will be set up in Bengaluru and separate command centers will be set up in each district.