India Announces Cashless Treatment Scheme for Road Accident Victims
There is a big relief for road accident victims and their families in India. The central government announced a cashless treatment scheme offering up to ₹1.5 lakh for road accident victims on May 6. According to a notification from the Ministry of Road Transport, if an accident occurs due to a motor vehicle, the injured person will be treated under this cashless treatment scheme, irrespective of where the accident happens.
According to media reports, the ₹1.5 lakh limit may be increased to ₹2 lakh. The first hour after a road accident is called the 'Golden Hour'. Many fatalities occur during this time due to a lack of immediate medical attention. This scheme aims to reduce such deaths by providing immediate healthcare. If the treatment exceeds ₹1.5 lakh, the patient or their family will need to pay the hospital, but after primary treatment, if the patient is referred to a bigger hospital, that hospital must ensure that the patient gets admission. After ₹1.5 lakh worth of cashless treatment, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will act as a nodal agency for the payment.
The central transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, had expressed concern earlier this year about the increasing number of road accidents in India. He had mentioned that the government is considering introducing a scheme to provide immediate cashless treatment to accident victims.
The National Health Authority (NHA), along with state police, hospitals, and state health agencies, will work together to implement this scheme.
The number of deaths due to delayed medical treatment is high in India. In 2023, around 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents, and between January and October 2024, 1.2 lakh people died. Around 30-40% of accident victims die because they do not receive timely treatment. The cost of treatment for road accident victims typically ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh, with serious cases incurring costs of ₹5-10 lakh. The free treatment scheme up to ₹1.5 lakh is expected to create an estimated financial burden of about ₹10,000 crore annually.