Karnataka’s 108 ambulance service faces a major disruption after employees in the Arogya Kavacha emergency medical service threatened to submit mass resignations if their demands are not met by Tuesday evening. They will have a deadline of 8 pm to make the decision and will do so if necessary because they are prepared to take the action under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).
The warning has raised concerns about the availability of emergency ambulance services across Karnataka. Emergency medical transportation could be severely affected from Tuesday night if a large number of 108 ambulance employees resign simultaneously. The employees have been demanding salary revision, shifts in duty schedules, and improvements in working conditions.
According to Karnataka State Arogya Kavacha (108) Employees’ Association president Parameshivayya, the employees had given the government and the company operating the service a 15-day deadline to address their concerns. The deadline ended on September 21. The association has now warned that employees may submit mass resignations if there is no concrete response by 8 pm on Tuesday.
A delegation led by Parameshivayya met Health Minister U.T. Khader and senior officials of GVK EMRI on Monday to seek a solution to the problems faced by ambulance staff. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Parameshivayya said the employees had already submitted their demands to GVK EMRI and had waited for the stipulated period for a response.
The association claims that rather than agreeing to a salary increase, the company has indicated that measures could be taken under ESMA to prevent employees from staying away from duty. The employees have strongly objected to this position. Parameshivayya said salaries that had been about ₹30,000 had effectively been reduced to between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000 in the current shift-related arrangements. He also worried about employees being asked to report for duty as early as 6 am.
The association president said ambulance workers should not be treated unfairly and argued that employees are at a stage where they are considering a drastic decision. It has around 3,200 employees, including ambulance drivers and staff nurses, working under the 108 service throughout Karnataka. If no changes are made, employees are willing to quit and look for other jobs if they feel that no one is addressing their needs.
The employees also insisted that if emergency services are affected by the mass resignation, responsibility should rest with the government and the contracted service provider rather than the workers. The warning has raised concerns for patients who rely on 108 ambulances for emergency transportation.
One of the major demands is regular salary revision. Since 2017-2022, workers have been arguing for salaries to be increased annually and have demanded basic ambulance facilities and a three-shift system to help employees carry out their work in a disciplined way.
Another demand is the removal of the zone-based salary structure and the introduction of a uniform salary system. The employees are also demanding compensation of ₹50 lakh for the families of staff members who die in accidents while serving under the emergency ambulance system.
The association has also insisted that pay be fixed for an employee based on seniority and that wages should be paid by the seventh day of every month in line with labour needs. Better workplace facilities are also among the demands. This includes toilets, rest rooms for workers, and water to clean ambulances at all work locations.
The situation has put the state’s emergency healthcare infrastructure under renewed attention. There are thousands of ambulance staff in the field, and any disruption could affect patients needing to be transferred to hospitals immediately. The government and the service provider will have to address the employees’ concerns before the deadline to prevent 108 ambulance services from falling apart.
But so far, the employees’ association has said that its decision will depend on whether its demands are met by the Tuesday evening deadline. As this deadline approaches, the situation is being closely watched.
