Govt to offer cashless medical treatment to road accident victims

NEW DELHI: Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, stated that the Ministry of Transport has developed a scheme that offers cashless medical treatment to road accident victims. This initiative has been launched on a trial basis in Chandigarh and Assam.

The minister stated that the program includes providing care for people injured in traffic accidents, regardless of the road type. The ministry is implementing this programme in collaboration with the National Health Authority (NHA).

“Under the scheme, the eligible victims are administered Health Benefits Packages relating to trauma and polytrauma care at impanelled hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPM-JAY), up to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh for a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident,” stated by the minister.

The scheme is being administered under the aegis of the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, established under section 164B of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The sources of income and the utilisation of funds are detailed in the Central Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicle Accident Fund) Rules, 2022.
The NHA, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is responsible for the programme’s implementation in coordination with local police, empanelled hospitals, State Health Agencies, the National Informatics Centre, and the General Insurance Council.

The minister added that the programme aims to decrease the number of fatalities in road accidents and improve the quality of care for those involved in such accidents.