New Delhi:
In recent days, fewer people have died in road accidents across the country. However, many still lose their lives due to delayed treatment after accidents.
The Ministry of Road Transport (MoRTH) is now working on a new plan called the ‘Golden Hour Treatment’ scheme.
This initiative aims to offer swift medical care to those injured in road accidents, potentially saving more lives.
As per the news on ET Now, under this scheme, injured individuals will receive free hospital treatment (up to Rs 1.5 lakh or for 7 days) within the first hour after an accident, without any payment required.
Whichever of these two costs less will be considered valid.
This scheme will be included in the Amended Motor Vehicles Act 2019 (MAV2019) and will be rolled out nationwide.
‘Golden Hour’ refers to the critical first 60 minutes after a road accident for receiving treatment.
A fund of Rs 100 crore will be created
According to ET Now, general insurance companies will contribute 0.5 percent of the third-party premium for the scheme, creating a fund of approximately Rs 100 crore.
The government plans to initially launch the ‘Golden Hour’ scheme as a pilot project in Haryana and Chandigarh to ensure its effective operation.
The goal of this initiative is to reduce road accident fatalities by 50% by providing timely treatment during the critical ‘Golden Hour’.
It’s worth noting that in 2022, a record 1.68 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents across the country.
For highway safety, several crucial measures have been implemented in the country to enhance vehicle safety features.
One such measure is the mandatory installation of ABS brakes in vehicles by vehicle manufacturing companies.
Additionally, systems that alert the driver about high vehicle speeds, remind about seat belts, and Bharat NCAP crash safety ratings have also been implemented.
This feature can be initiated in Ayushman Bharat hospitals after government approval.
