Kerala To Provide Free Treatment To Road Accident Victims For First 48 Hours

[Update: The initial article title mentioned ‘In a first’, which was wrong. In past, Karnataka & Delhi Govt. has also started similar policy]

The state government of Kerala has come up with a programme on 2 November that would ensure free treatment for road-accident victims in the crucial 48 hours of the accident. This was decided at a high-level meeting that was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that economic discrimination in emergency care must be ended. pic.twitter.com/vHnpxZftQM

— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) November 2, 2017

The planning would be done jointly by Secretaries of Department of Health, Home, Finance, Transport and PWD.

The Kerala Road Safety Fund and Social Security Fund of the Kerala State Transport Project would be put to use for the project.

Some cases had surfaced where patients who got injured in road accidents were not given proper treatment by both the state and privately-run hospitals. CM Vijayan has pointed out that immediate treatment should not be denied to anyone because of the victim’s financial constraints.

The ambitious Trauma Care Project of the government would aim to pay for the treatment during the crucial hours of the accident victim, even if they are admitted to private hospitals. In case the victims are taken to private hospitals, the cost would be borne by the Road Safety Fund.

The amount that the government would pay is due to be reimbursed by the respective insurance companies later. A detailed plan on this will be formulated after discussing with the insurance companies.

The programme would be ensuring trauma care facilities in government medical colleges, district and taluk hospitals and major private medical care institutions.

Special ambulance service, having modern facilities, will be arranged so that no crucial time is lost in bringing the victims to the nearest hospitals. Private agencies would also be involved in this matter. A new software would be used to select the ambulances, and private hospitals and a centralised call centre would control all the activities with the help of the software.

The Logical Indian wholeheartedly appreciates the efforts of the Kerala government to help those in acute need of the service. We hope that this initiative acts an inspiration for other states to implement a similar programme.