Karnataka Launches Government-Owned 108 Emergency Control Center: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced the launch of the country’s first fully government-owned advanced ‘108’ centralized Command and Control Center in Bengaluru’s Basaveshwara Nagar. The announcement was shared through an official social media post along with details about the state’s upgraded emergency healthcare system.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the new facility and said faster emergency response during the “golden hour” could save thousands of lives across Karnataka. Officials said the technology-driven center is expected to improve ambulance coordination during road accidents, heart attacks, childbirth emergencies, and other critical situations.
“Around 80 percent of people facing medical emergencies can be saved with timely treatment during the golden hour,” Siddaramaiah said while addressing the event. He also urged citizens not to fear expensive private hospital treatment costs and instead use government hospitals equipped with modern healthcare facilities.
The government highlighted major reforms in the state’s 108 ambulance network after complaints from the public over delayed ambulance arrivals in rural and urban areas. Dinesh Gundu Rao said the life-saving service was previously dependent on private operators, creating gaps in response time and monitoring.
“Bringing the entire emergency ambulance system fully under government control was a dream for us,” the minister stated in his social media message. Karnataka’s budget funding was used to modernize the emergency response infrastructure and create direct monitoring systems.
Officials confirmed that ambulance tracking, MDT technology, and technical supervision will now remain directly under government monitoring instead of private management. Authorities also said strict safeguards have been introduced to protect patient data privacy.
ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಜನತೆಗೆ ತುರ್ತು ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟದ ಹಾಗೂ ಪಾರದರ್ಶಕ ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ಸೇವೆ ತಲುಪಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಪರಮೋಚ್ಚ ಧ್ಯೇಯ. ಇವತ್ತು ಇಡೀ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲೇ ಮೊಟ್ಟಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಸ್ವಾಮ್ಯದ ಅತ್ಯಾಧುನಿಕ '108' ಕೇಂದ್ರಿಕೃತ ಕಮಾಂಡ್ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂಟ್ರೋಲ್ ಕೇಂದ್ರವನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಬಸವೇಶ್ವರ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ… pic.twitter.com/1nwduTXP1u
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) May 25, 2026
The state government claimed the upgraded system has directly created employment opportunities for nearly 3,600 people across Karnataka. Health department officials believe the project will strengthen emergency healthcare delivery in both cities and villages.
Dinesh Gundu Rao described the launch as a proud and historic moment for Karnataka’s healthcare sector. Senior ministers, MLAs, department secretaries, and health officials attended the inauguration ceremony in Bengaluru.