108 now thinks faster: Karnataka’s ambulance service gets smart upgrade

Bengaluru: Calling 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulance during a medical emergency in Karnataka may soon feel a lot like booking a cab — except that the system is designed to save lives.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah Monday inaugurated the govt-owned 108 Command and Control Centre, an integrated emergency response system. The upgraded system is expected to significantly reduce delays during medical emergencies, especially during accidents and cardiac events, by ensuring patients are not just taken to the nearest hospital, but the right one.

The centralised centre also brings multiple emergency and healthcare helplines under an integrated platform. Apart from the 108 ambulance service, the system is linked to 104 Arogya Sahayavani, 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), TeleManas mental health helpline (14416), eSanjeevani telemedicine services, 181 Women’s Helpline, and 1098 Child Helpline to improve coordination between departments and reduce delays.

How it works

The moment a patient or caregiver dials 108, the command centre automatically identifies the caller’s location using GPS-enabled technology. The software simultaneously tracks the nearest available ambulance and maps nearby govt health facilities — including primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), taluk and district hospitals. Based on the nature of emergency, the system decides which facility is best equipped to handle the case.

Dr Prabhudev Gowda, deputy director, EMRI, health department, explained: “For example, a patient with severe injuries from a highway accident may be directed straight to a district hospital with trauma care, ICU facilities, and specialists such as neurosurgeons and orthopaedic doctors. A patient with fewer critical symptoms may instead be routed to a nearby PHC or CHC for immediate stabilisation.”

Once the ambulance is dispatched, the caller receives an SMS containing ambulance details and a live tracking link, allowing real-time monitoring.

The command centre integrates both the state’s centralised 108 ambulance fleet and state-sector ambulances stationed at govt hospitals. While 108 ambulances are staffed with trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs) capable of providing pre-hospital emergency care, state-sector ambulances mainly handle inter-facility patient transfers.

One of the biggest challenges earlier, officials said, was locating callers accurately, particularly in rural areas. With live-location mapping now integrated into the system, dispatchers can identify callers instantly on digital maps.

The health department has already mapped govt hospitals across the state and is now working on integrating private ones and real-time hospital dashboards into the network. In future, the system is expected to display live information on ICU availability, specialist doctors on duty, and emergency care capacity at hospitals.

The software, developed in collaboration with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), is hosted at the Karnataka State Data Centre, ensuring that sensitive caller and patient information remains securely stored within govt systems. The state is also planning to introduce privacy safeguards by masking caller phone numbers from telecallers and ambulance staff, while retaining access at the central command level for emergency coordination.

Every second matters: CM

Speaking at the inauguration, the CM stressed the importance of the ‘golden hour’ during medical emergencies. “Every second matters when it comes to saving a life. Keeping this in mind, our govt has introduced this upgraded, technology-enabled emergency response system to strengthen healthcare and emergency services. This project is an important step towards strengthening Karnataka’s healthcare infrastructure. It is expected to provide faster assistance to citizens during emergencies and save more lives,” Siddaramaiah said.

Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the 108 ambulance service, launched in 2008, has so far been operated by a private organisation. “Following concerns over its functioning, govt decided to upgrade and directly manage the service using advanced technology after studying various global models, including Singapore’s emergency response system. The upgraded system was first piloted in Chamarajanagar,” he said.

The system is now operational across all 31 districts of Karnataka. On average, the service now receives more than 8,000 calls a day, officials said, adding that a large number of these are enquiries or prank calls.