On August 7, 2026, in Mangaluru, Health Minister U.T. Khader outlined the government’s initiatives to enhance healthcare services across Karnataka, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing health. Khader, speaking at a press conference, explained that the Health Department’s primary focus is on providing treatment to those who fall ill, and as such, several schemes have been introduced to improve healthcare delivery.
Over the past one-and-a-half months, 200 MBBS doctors have joined the state health department, and approval has been given for the recruitment of an additional 3,500 healthcare personnel. The minister also announced plans to strengthen ambulance services at the taluk and district levels, with the proposal set to be discussed with the department and implemented after obtaining approval from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The proposed system aims to ensure ambulances reach patients within 20 minutes in rural areas and 15 minutes in urban areas. Furthermore, the state is planning to introduce 100 bike ambulances, and 450 new ambulances will be added to the existing 108 emergency ambulance service, bringing the total number of ambulances to 750. Khader also stated that companies operating the ambulance service will face penalties if they fail to reach patients on time.
The minister discussed various other healthcare initiatives, including strengthening the Ayushman Karnataka scheme in private hospitals and formulating the Sandhya Kiran scheme for retired government employees and officials. Khader also acknowledged the need for clarity regarding the Centre’s Vay Vandana scheme and announced that the state government is ready to cooperate with the Centre in implementing the scheme.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalore Today