Union Ministry plans to introduce cashless medical treatment to all accident victims within the next three to four months

The Union Ministry of Roads Transport and Highways (MoRTH) plans to introduce cashless medical treatment to all injured accident victims across the nation within the next three to four months.

The announcement was made by Anurag Jain, Secretary, Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) while inaugurating a three-day Global Road Safety Initiative being organised by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) in partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, and in association with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). “The free and cashless medical treatment to accident injured victims is part of the amended Motor vehicle Act 2019 (MVA2019). Some states have implemented it but now the Ministry of Roads, in league with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be fully implementing it across the nation. It is envisioned for providing access to cashless trauma care treatment for road accident victims at the nearest appropriate hospital in the country, in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling, and by drawing its power from the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019 (MV Amendment Act). Such cashless treatment shall be extended to road accident victims including during golden hour, as defined by the MV Amendment Act,” Jain said.

“India has the highest number of road accident deaths in the world, in a bid to reduce accidents by 50 percent by the year 2030, the Road Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy based on the Five ‘Es’ of road safety (Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care) to address the issue. Road safety has been made an integral part of road design at the planning stage. The electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) Project has been initiated to establish a central repository for reporting, management and analysis of road accidents data across the Country and rectify the engineering faults within a month or two.” Jain said.

“For education and awareness about road safety, the Union ministry of education has agreed to include Road safety as part of curriculum for schools and colleges to be implemented soon. For vehicular engineering several steps have been taken including ABS brakes, two wheelers over speed warning system, seat belt reminder and introduction of Bharat NCAP. Enforcement is a real time key to ensuring motor vehicle laws are followed, including wearing of helmet seatbelt lane driving and jumping redlights.” Jain said.

“About 130 eminent road safety experts from more than 27 countries are taking part in the three-day ‘Global Road Safety Initiative’ to begin in the National capital with focus on deliberating and finalising suggestive codes to reduce road crash fatalities and injuries in low and middle-income countries and cities. The global road safety experts attending the event will be working towards deliberating and finalising suggestive Codes of Safe Practice for, Driver Certification, Diagnosis of Road Crashes through Multi-Disciplinary Crash Investigation and Safety of Vulnerable Road Users.” said Dr Rohit Baluja, President, Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).

“The new set of recommendations arising from the meet will be tabled and discussed in the forthcoming Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety sessions in Geneva from March 2024. This will offer crucial guidance on the principles embedded in the legal instruments falling in the mandate of the UNECE” he said.

Eminent participants included in the meet include Dr Luciano Lorio, Chairperson – UN Economic Commission for Europe, Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety and Senior Legal Adviser – MIT, Italy, David Ward, Executive president – Global NCAP, Nanda Srinivasan, Associate Administrator – NHTSA Department of transport (DOT), USA, Dr B Mohammed Asheel, National Professional officer (injury and Disability prevention) – WHO, Dr Jorge Bengue Calumbo, Secretary of state for land transport – Ministerio dos Tranportes , Govt of Angola, Honourable Joshua Kurt Sacco, Deputy Minister – Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Govt of Zimbabwe.