Latest news with #KPME)Act
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Karnataka government set to regulate private ambulances by amending law
Bengaluru: The state govt has decided to amend the law to regulate private ambulances, especially their fares. "We'll be coming out with an amendment to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act any day and bring all ambulance service providers under its ambit. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This will allow us to regulate ambulance-hiring charges, grade fixation, service, etc," health and family welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said. "At present, there's no licensing or specific registration facilities for ambulances and mobile medical units. Both of these will be brought under the KPME Act," he added. Rao's statement came after reports about a private ambulance charging Rs 8,500 to take a patient from Goraguntepalya to Victoria Hospital. "The health department has already taken the issue of private ambulances charging exorbitant rates seriously... I appeal that the health sector should be viewed with a service mindset and not just from a business perspective," the minister had posted on social media. Health officials told TOI the state govt aims to follow the Singapore model that has a central command centre, which will be used to track and monitor both private and govt ambulances. This could be a game-changer in emergency response as ambulances will be strategically stationed across the city and state, and not just at hospitals, an official added. At present, govt ambulances are equipped with a GPS tracker to help patients get to the nearest healthcare facility. The govt's 108 service has 88 ambulances across the city, but private ambulances run in the hundreds in Bengaluru alone. The new system would prevent underhand dealings among ambulance drivers to take patients to certain hospitals, a private hospital doctor opined.
Deccan Herald
30-07-2025
- Health
- Deccan Herald
Will table bill to regulate pvt ambulance pricing: Karnataka minister
Interacting with journalists in Karwar, Rao added, 'We will introduce a bill in the upcoming session of the state legislature to regulate the rates charged by private ambulances, by bringing it under the ambit of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act. We will also regulate the prices charged by mobile clinics.'
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Fire NOC stalls licences
NOC Karnataka Private Medical Indian Medical Association Private hospitals across Karnataka are facing delays in obtaining new licenses and renewing existing ones due to the state government's mandatory requirement for a fire safety No Objection Certificate (). As per theEstablishments (KPME) Act, it is now compulsory for all private healthcare institutions to implement fire safety measures and obtain clearance from the Fire and Emergency Services Department to secure or renew their only hospitals taller than 21 metres needed a fire safety NOC. However, the new directive extends this requirement to smaller hospitals and clinics as well. Without this clearance, licenses cannot be issued or renewed, causing a slowdown in hospital registrations and potentially affecting the delivery of essential healthcare A Suriraju, Secretary of the(IMA), voiced concern, stating that around 3,000 small and medium-sized hospitals are already experiencing delays, a number that could rise to 15,000 in the coming months if the issue is not IMA has called on the government to issue clear, standardised guidelines for the NOC process.
