Karnataka HC disposes of PIL on ambulance service after state submits initiatives undertaken

'...we appreciate the response of the state government,' the bench said

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday disposed of a PIL on integrated ambulance service after the state government submitted that various initiatives have been taken for smooth passage of ambulances.

Considering the initiatives taken by the health as well as transport department, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale disposed of the petition.

The PIL was filed by Bharat Punarutthana Trust, Bengaluru, seeking directions to set up an ambulance control room in the state and for installation of GPS devices in ambulances.

In the compliance affidavit filed by the Health and Family Welfare department, it was stated that all the concerned District Health Officers (DHOs) have issued directions to the government hospitals directing them to utilise the special emergency corridor phone numbers to get traffic cleared wherever an ambulance is stuck.

The affidavit filed by the Road Safety Authority stated that a communication dated December 12, 2022, has been issued to transport department officials and to the e-governance department to take action to make necessary provision in Vahan software and also to add GPS provision in Vahan database. It was also stated that a request has been made to National Informatics Centre (NIC) to create a database to incorporate GPS components as one of the parameters for newly registered ambulances.

Insofar as the tender floating for ambulance services, the state government submitted that the procurement committee constituted for selection of the service provider has relaxed the main eligibility criteria which has been approved by the state government. Accordingly, a short term tender of 21 days was re-floated on January 9, 2023, and the last date for tender submission is January 30, 2023.

“...we appreciate the response of the state government. We also appreciate the approach of the government not getting the petition as adversary litigation but a means to provide necessary emergency services for the citizens in the cases of medical emergency,” the bench said.