Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D K Shivkumar Speaking after dedicating 262 new ambulances, said, “The ambulance drivers have an understanding with private hospitals and they take all accident patients to private hospitals instead of government hospitals.”
He said that this is leading to patients being charged huge bills at private hospitals, when they could have received treatment free of cost at a government hospital. He has called upon the Health department officials to provide instructions to ambulance drivers, staff and ambulance contractors so that such incidents do not take place in the future.
Shivkumar also suggested that the Department fix GPS in ambulances and provide suitable directions when a patient is picked up, and that officials must monitor these regularly. Relatives of the accident victims come to MLAs seeking monetary help on many occasions. We seek funds from the Chief Ministers fund or sometimes we pay from our pocket. All this hardship could be avoided if ambulance drivers take accident victims to government hospitals,” he explained. He further stressed that government hospitals in Karnataka are a role model to the whole nation, it is important that such advanced facilities must be made use of.
