Karnataka moves towards faster, reliable emergency care with launch of government-owned 108 command centre

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah connected Monday (May 25, 2026) inaugurated the government-owned “108 Arogya Kavacha Centralised Command and Control Centre” successful Bengaluru, marking a large modulation successful Karnataka’s exigency healthcare absorption system.

The initiative, announced successful the State Budget for 2025-26, seeks to fortify exigency aesculapian effect services done a unified, technology-driven level integrating ambulance dispatch, exigency helplines, and healthcare coordination.

The 108 Arogya Kavacha service, Karnataka’s escaped exigency ambulance network, was launched successful August 2008 nether a public-private concern exemplary and was being operated by GVK EMRI. The work functions circular the timepiece crossed each 31 districts and caters to medical, trauma, and obstetric emergencies. Officials said an exit absorption program has been chalked retired and the agency’s functioning volition beryllium gradually taken implicit by the authorities successful the adjacent three-four months.

Speaking aft inaugurating the facility, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Karnataka had go the archetypal State successful the state to found a afloat government-owned centralised bid and power strategy for exigency ambulance services.

He said the strategy would facilitate faster and much reliable exigency effect done real-time coordination, GPS-enabled ambulance tracking, and integrated nationalist exigency platforms.

‘Golden hour’ treatment

Mr. Siddaramaiah stressed the value of attraction during the “golden hour”, peculiarly successful cases involving roadworthy accidents, cardiac emergencies, and pregnancy-related complications. Nearly 80% of patients had survived due to the fact that of timely exigency involution during the captious period., helium said.

The Chief Minister noted that Bengaluru presently had betwixt 65 and 70 ambulances catering to exigency healthcare services.

Improved accountability

The Chief Minister observed that accountability had remained constricted erstwhile the 108 ambulance strategy was managed by the backstage agency. However, with the work present functioning nether authorities administration, nationalist oversight and work would amended considerably, helium said.

Pointing retired that attraction for superior illnesses specified arsenic crab was often unaffordable successful backstage hospitals, helium said authorities hospitals were progressively equipped to supply prime healthcare services.

Unified exigency platform

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the caller Command and Control Centre integrates the 108 Arogya Kavacha and 104 Arogya Sahayavani services nether a azygous platform. It is besides linked with respective exigency and nationalist healthcare systems, including 112 Emergency Response Support System, 181 Women’s Helpline, 1098 Child Helpline, TeleManas, and eSanjeevani.

The centre has been developed connected the CDAC NG-ERSS V2.0 level and includes a 50-seat telephone centre for centralised ambulance dispatch operations. The strategy enables real-time GPS tracking of ambulances, automatic caller determination detection, intelligent nearest-ambulance allocation with estimated accomplishment clip calculation, integer diligent attraction records done Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), and infirmary pre-alert notifications. SMS alerts containing ambulance details would besides beryllium sent to patients and callers, helium said.

Expansion planned

Mr. Rao said the authorities planned to widen the centralised dispatch mechanics to see State-sector ambulances and “Nagu Magu” ambulances utilized for transporting mothers and newborns aft delivery.

He said the adjacent signifier of the task would present connected ambulances equipped with IoT and biotelemetry systems susceptible of transmitting diligent vitals specified arsenic ECG, oxygen saturation, humor pressure, and bosom complaint to exigency effect doctors successful existent time.