Govt Rolls Out Cashless Treatment Scheme for Road Accident Victims

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the implementation of a pilot cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims in Chandigarh and Assam. The initiative, in collaboration with the National Health Authority, provides treatment up to Rs. 1.5 lakh and aims to reduce road accident fatalities.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced the government's implementation of a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims. Informing the Parliament on Thursday, Gadkari revealed that the Transport Ministry is piloting this initiative in Chandigarh and Assam.

The scheme aims to offer cashless treatment to individuals injured in road accidents involving motor vehicles, irrespective of the accident location. The National Health Authority (NHA) is assisting in the program's rollout, providing Health Benefits Packages for trauma and polytrauma care at empanelled hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). Each eligible victim is covered up to Rs. 1.5 lakh for a seven-day period from the accident date, according to Gadkari's statement in the Lok Sabha.

This scheme is managed under the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, established by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Central Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicle Accident Fund) Rules, 2022, outline the funds' sources and utilization. The program is executed by the NHA, in coordination with local authorities, hospitals, State Health Agencies, the National Informatics Centre, and the General Insurance Council. Gadkari highlighted that the scheme is expected to reduce road accident fatalities and improve treatment for accident victims.

(With inputs from agencies.)