Tender process delay hits resumption of '104' Arogyavani services in Karnataka

The state’s health helpline '104' Arogyavani, which became defunct in February 2022, is likely to take much longer to resume as the tender process to select the private partner in the PPP project continues to be delayed.

After Dinesh Gundu Rao took charge as the Health Minister, the department had aimed to call fresh tenders by June 15. But two and half months down the line, the tender document is still awaiting multiple approvals.

Launched in 2013, the helpline was meant to guide callers about health conditions and minor ailments, give information on where to seek care, and handle people’s complaints regarding the public healthcare system. It was meant to increase people’s healthcare access and reduce the load on the healthcare system. The two call centres in Belagavi and Bengaluru had together handled a total of over four crore calls by 2022. 

The tender process since February 2022 has failed twice. This time, the government set up a technical committee to relook into the tender document.

This committee has finalised the specifications, but now the document is awaiting the approval of the state pre-tender scrutiny committee. After this, another approval is needed from the RFP guidance committee, and changes are expected in the document at this stage also, says Health Commissioner D Randeep.

After this, the government should approve the document so that it can uploaded online. Unlike having two 100-seater call centres, the new tender is only for operating a 75-seater call centre in Bengaluru.

Randeep says that service tenders like '104' face more hurdles as bidders often question the requirements in the tender.

“The objections are often to the tender conditions itself rather than to any violation of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act. The draft document will soon be put up online, to invite objections beforehand,” he said.