BENGALURU: Patients in need of emergency medical care are facing delays as the 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulances remain unavailable. Shockingly, new ambulances purchased by the Health Department are sitting idle, collecting dust at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru.
A recent report by a local Kannada news channel shed light on the mismanagement within the Health Department, revealing that the ambulances have been left unused, parked in the open.
The department invested a staggering Rs 82 crore in acquiring these ambulances, which are now going to waste. This issue has led to distressing situations, such as a patient having to resort to a goods autorickshaw to reach KC General Hospital due to the unavailability of an ambulance during an emergency.
Despite the purchase of 262 new ambulances towards the end of 2023, launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, most of them remain unused. This lack of utilization has left patients in various parts of the state without access to life-saving ambulance services.
Out of a total of 715 ambulances in the state, 262 were newly acquired. Shockingly, 20% of these ambulances are currently non-functional. The government procured 157 Basic Life Support Ambulances (BLS) and 105 Advanced Life Support Ambulances (ALS) at a cost of Rs 82,02,88,120 crore. While some taluks, districts, and hospitals in Bengaluru have received ambulances, others are still waiting for this vital service.
