Bengaluru, 14 May 

The State government will completely take over the management of 108-ambulance services from a private agency owing to "mismanagement", Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Wednesday.

"These 108-ambulances were being managed by a private agency until now, and there were many problems with the system," he said.

“We have decided to move away from private management," he told reporters. “The command control will be with us.”

Highlighting the importance of the 108 ambulance service, Rao said, "Its management was not being done properly by the private agency. Although the government paid the agency, the salaries of ambulance staff were not being paid on time."

He added, "The government had to intervene multiple times to resolve the issues faced by ambulance drivers."

Rao also announced that under the National Health Mission (NHM), the salaries of MBBS doctors, specialist doctors, and staff nurses working in Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) were significantly revised and increased. 

As per the revised structure, doctors will receive Rs 60,000, specialist doctors Rs 1.40 lakh, and staff nurses Rs 22,000.

The revised salary structure will apply only to newly recruited personnel. Existing staff will continue to receive their current salaries but may choose to resign and reapply under the new recruitment process.