Inside The Alleged Scam: Are Karnataka's Arogya Kavacha Ambulances Inflating Bills At The Cost Of Lives?

Alarming allegations of potentially life-threatening mismanagement have surfaced in Karnataka's 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulance service, raising concerns over the safety of patients during emergency transfers. Ambulance drivers have accused their contractor, EMRI Green Health Services, of putting lives at risk by allegedly forcing them to transfer critical patients into multiple ambulances while en route to hospitals.

The Cases

One particularly distressing incident occurred on July 19, when Syed Iftikhar, a patient from Chitradurga, suffered a heart attack and stroke. His brother, Syed Mumtaz, described the harrowing experience of waiting for an ambulance and the subsequent six-hour journey that required Iftikhar to be shifted between six different ambulances before reaching Jayadeva Hospital in Bengaluru.

Photo Credit: PTI

Mumtaz reported in the Deccan Herald (DH) that they waited on the highway for another vehicle to arrive after the first ambulance driver refused to travel further than 20 kilometres, citing company orders.

The practice of transferring patients between ambulances, locally known as a "double dispatch," is sometimes employed to ensure faster access to advanced life support (ALS) ambulances.

However, drivers and family members claim that the number of transfers has exceeded acceptable limits, leading to unnecessary delays and jeopardizing patient safety. In Iftikhar's case, the patient was transferred four times within the 82-kilometer stretch between Chitradurga and Sira in Tumakuru.

Syed Mumtaz has provided video evidence showing multiple ambulance number plates, corroborating the frequent transfers. He stated in DH, "This has traumatised us," highlighting the emotional toll on the family.

A similar incident in Kalaburagi on August 5 resulted in the tragic loss of a baby. The pregnant woman involved was transferred between three ambulances over a 60-kilometre journey, and her family alleges that the repeated transfers contributed to the loss of the foetus.

Photo Credit: PTI

Larger Scam Allegations

The allegations have sparked wider concern among ambulance drivers, who claim this issue is part of a larger scam orchestrated by the contractor to inflate the number of ambulance trips and patients transported, thus drawing higher payments from the government.

Drivers also reported being threatened with pay cuts if they did not comply with these practices. Furthermore, some ambulances reportedly operate without an emergency medical technician (EMT) on board, further compromising patient care during critical transfers.

Insider Revelations

Company representative Hanumanthappa dismissed these allegations as "baseless," in DH but a company insider revealed to local news sources that the manipulation of ambulance trips is a deliberate effort to inflate billing.

Government Response

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao acknowledged the issue of double or triple dispatches in DH and confirmed that discussions had taken place earlier this year to explore exemptions for emergency cases. He stated, "We will look into this," adding that the department plans to float new tenders by the end of the month to address these issues and improve accountability.

Health Commissioner D Randeep admitted in DH to being unaware of the problem and stressed the need for an audit of the company's monthly trip reports. He assured that corrective action would be taken if any wrongdoing is discovered.