Thiruvananthapuram: More private hospitals with adequate trauma care facilities will be brought under the Rahaat scheme to ensure timely and cashless emergency treatment for road accident victims.The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the district collector as part of efforts to expand the availability of emergency treatment under the Prime Minister’s Road Accident Victims Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment (Rahaat) scheme, introduced by Union ministry of road transport and highways. The scheme aims to ensure that accident victims receive treatment during the critical first hour and are not denied care due to financial constraints.Under the scheme, an accident victim can avail of free emergency treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for a maximum of seven days. The scheme in the district has been launched at Thiruvananthapuram medical college.Presently, govt and private hospitals empanelled under the scheme provide treatment. The meeting decided to identify and include more private hospitals equipped with trauma care facilities, thereby expanding the network available to accident victims across the district.The initiative is intended to prevent delays in providing treatment to road accident victims and ensure that hospitals don’t turn away patients because they are unable to immediately pay for treatment. Timely intervention is considered crucial in the initial period following an accident, especially for victims with serious injuries.The scheme implementation is coordinated through online portals. Police verification of accident victims is to be completed within 24 to 48 hours of the accident. The digital system is being used to coordinate the verification, treatment and other procedures under the scheme.Road Safety Authority is the nodal agency for implementing the Rahaat scheme. The meeting reviewed the steps taken so far by various departments and agencies and discussed measures required for the smooth implementation of the scheme in the district.Officials stressed the need for better coordination among agencies involved in responding to road accidents, especially police, transport authorities, hospitals and health agencies, to ensure that eligible victims reach empanelled facilities and receive treatment without delay.
