Road accident victims to get free cashless treatment: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, Aug 01: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that the govt has implemented a scheme to provide cashless treatment to victims of road accidents.

The minister informed the Parliament on Thursday that the Transport Ministry has developed a scheme and begun implementing it on a pilot basis in Chandigarh and Assam. This initiative aims to provide cashless treatment to victims of road accidents.

The minister explained that the scheme covers treatment for individuals involved in road accidents caused by motor vehicles, regardless of the type of road. The ministry is implementing this program in collaboration with the National Health Authority (NHA).

"Under this scheme, the eligible victims are administered Health Benefits Packages relating to trauma and polytrauma care at empanelled hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), up to a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh for a maximum period of 7 days from the date of the accident," said the minister in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

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 utilization of funds are detailed in the Central Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicle Accident Fund) Rules, 2022.

The NHA, under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is responsible for the program's implementation in coordination with local police, empanelled hospitals, State Health Agencies, the National Informatics Centre, and the General Insurance Council.

Minister Gadkari stated that, in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act, of 1988, the pilot program for cashless treatment extends support to victims of road accidents caused by motor vehicles, regardless of where the accident occurs.

The scheme will help in reducing deaths in road accidents and will help in providing better treatment to road accident victims.