Assam: Cashless treatment facility for road accident victims

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Some relief seems to be in the offing for the state's road accident victims as the central government has decided to implement a cashless treatment facility for road accident victims in Assam on a pilot basis.

Under this scheme, the eligible victims are administered a health benefit package related to trauma and polytrauma care at empaneled hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana up to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh for a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident.

The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stated that the scheme will be implemented in collaboration with the National Health Authority. In accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, the pilot programme for cashless treatment will extend support to victims of road transport accidents caused by motor vehicles, regardless of where the accident occurs. He further said the scheme would be implemented in Assam and Chandigarh on a pilot basis.

Assam being an accident-prone area, this scheme will benefit many road accident victims. In many cases, it is seen that a lack of proper and timely treatment causes more casualties. Between January and October 2023, the total number of road accidents in the state was 6,001, and the number of casualties was 2,606. In 2022, the number of accidents was 7,023 and the number of the number of casualties was 2,994. However, compared to 2023, the rate of accidents and casualties decreased until June of 2024.

According to official data, thousands of people were killed in road accidents in Assam. In 2012, the number of casualties was 2,291, in 2013 there were 2,441 casualties, in 2014 it was 3,058, in 2015 the number was 2,397, in 2016 it was 2,572, and in 2019 the number increased to 3,257. Going by the numbers from 2012 to 2019, it can be seen that an average of 6,000 road accidents occurred in the state annually.

Transport department sources said that, of the total accidents that happened in the state, around 50% of them were preventable. 40% of the accidents happened on two-wheelers due to overspeeding, careless driving, or overtaking. The department has identified a number of 'black spots' and they have been rectified. Road marking has been done for safety purposes; retro-reflective road signs have been installed; speed breakers have been put up; metal beam crash barriers have been installed; junction improvements have been done; and curves on the roads have been simplified with scientific road mapping. Awareness drives among commercial drivers have also been conducted. But nothing will help if the drivers are careless when driving on the roads.

This pilot project may help save a lot of lives. In many cases, a lack of cash may lead to delayed or ineffective treatment. So, this cashless scheme will help reduce deaths in road accidents and provide better treatment to road accident victims.

The National Health Authority, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is responsible for the scheme's implementation in coordination with local police, empaneled hospitals, state health agencies, the National Informatics Centre, and the General Insurance Council.

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