NEWS: The Karnataka Health Department is strengthening the 108 Arogya Kavacha emergency ambulance service with the objective of reducing ambulance response time and improving pre-hospital emergency care.

ABOUT

• 108 Arogya Kavacha is Karnataka's free Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS).
• Provides 24×7 ambulance services for medical, trauma, and accident emergencies.
• Focuses on delivering pre-hospital emergency care before the patient reaches the hospital.

KEY INITIATIVES

• Target to reduce ambulance response time to 10 minutes (currently aiming for phased implementation).
• Patients should ideally be shifted to a treatment facility within 20 minutes, referred to as the "Golden Hour" in emergency care.
• Ambulances are equipped with trained nurses and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who provide stabilization and life-saving medical assistance during transit.
• Emphasis that emergency care begins as soon as the ambulance reaches the patient, not only after reaching the hospital.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Improves survival chances during medical emergencies and road accidents.
• Strengthens emergency healthcare infrastructure and reduces preventable deaths.
• Ensures faster access to quality emergency medical services across Karnataka.