The newly approved PM RAHAT scheme promises up to ₹1.5 lakh in cashless hospital treatment per road accident victim, integrating emergency response, digital authentication, and a structured seven-day care window to reduce preventable fatalities on Indian roads.
14 Feb 2026 | 19 Views | By Sarthak Mahajan
The central government has approved the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) Scheme, a policy initiative aimed at ensuring that road accident victims receive immediate hospital care regardless of their ability to pay. Under the scheme, eligible victims are entitled to cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 ...
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The central government has approved the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) Scheme, a policy initiative aimed at ensuring that road accident victims receive immediate hospital care regardless of their ability to pay. Under the scheme, eligible victims are entitled to cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for a period of seven days from the date of the accident.
The decision was announced following the government's transition to Seva Teerth as the Prime Minister's primary administrative base.
Road accidents claim a substantial number of lives in India annually. Public health data suggests that approximately half of these deaths may be preventable if victims are admitted to hospital within the first hour following an incident — a window widely referred to in emergency medicine as the Golden Hour. Delayed or denied hospital admission, often linked to uncertainty over payment, has been identified as a factor in a number of preventable fatalities.
The scheme also acknowledges a secondary barrier: bystanders frequently hesitate to assist accident victims due to concerns about legal liability. PM RAHAT incorporates a formal designation for such individuals — referred to as Rah-Veer, or Good Samaritans — as part of its emergency response framework.
When an accident occurs, anyone at the scene — the victim, a bystander, or a passerby — may call the 112 emergency helpline to identify the nearest designated hospital and request an ambulance. The 112 number operates through the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), which is integrated into the PM RAHAT framework to coordinate between callers, emergency services, police, and hospitals.
Cashless treatment is available to eligible victims on any category of road. For non-life-threatening cases, stabilisation treatment is covered for up to 24 hours. For life-threatening cases, coverage extends to 48 hours, with the full seven-day entitlement applying in either scenario. Police authentication is required within those respective windows through an integrated digital platform.
The scheme is built on a digital architecture that connects two existing government systems: the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform, operated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Transaction Management System (TMS 2.0), maintained by the National Health Authority. Together, these systems are intended to manage the flow of information from the moment an accident is reported through to hospital admission, treatment, claim submission, and payment.
Funding and Hospital Payments
Reimbursements to hospitals are routed through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF). Where the vehicle responsible for the accident is insured, payment is drawn from a pool funded by General Insurance Companies. In hit-and-run cases or incidents involving uninsured vehicles, the cost is met through central government budgetary allocation. Approved claims are to be settled within ten days of State Health Agency sign-off.
The ten-day reimbursement commitment is intended to reduce the financial risk hospitals face when treating victims without advance payment, and to encourage broader participation in the scheme.
Complaints related to the scheme will be handled by a Grievance Redressal Officer appointed under the District Road Safety Committee, chaired by the District Collector, District Magistrate, or Deputy Commissioner. The structure places grievance resolution within existing district administration, rather than through a separate centralised body.
The scheme brings together multiple government departments — transport, health, insurance, and law enforcement — under a shared operational framework. Its practical impact will depend on the extent to which designated hospitals are equipped and willing to participate, the reliability of the 112 helpline in connecting victims to care promptly, and whether police authentication processes can be completed without introducing delays in treatment. Implementation at the district level is expected to vary, and the scheme's architects have not publicly detailed monitoring mechanisms that would track performance across states.