Source: News on Air
Subject: Government Schemes
Context: The Government has launched PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) to provide cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for road accident victims during the Golden Hour.
About PM RAHAT Scheme:
What it is?
- PM RAHAT is a national cashless emergency treatment scheme providing financial coverage up to ₹1.5 lakh per road accident victim for 7 days from the date of accident, with a focus on timely Golden Hour intervention.
Organisations involved:
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH): Policy oversight; integration via Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform.
- National Health Authority (NHA): Claims processing through Transaction Management System (TMS 2.0).
Aim:
- To ensure no life is lost due to lack of immediate medical assistance after road accidents.
- To strengthen India’s structured emergency response ecosystem.
- To provide financial certainty to hospitals, encouraging uninterrupted treatment.
Key features:
- Cashless Coverage: Up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for 7 days from accident date.
- Golden Hour Focus: Integration with 112 helpline for rapid hospital access.
- Stabilization Window: 24 hours (non-life-threatening) and 48 hours (life-threatening cases).
- Digital Integration: Seamless linkage between eDAR (MoRTH) and TMS 2.0 (NHA) for end-to-end claim management.
- Police Authentication: Mandatory confirmation within 24–48 hours to ensure accountability.
- Funding Mechanism: Through Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF), insured cases via insurance contributions, uninsured/Hit & Run via budgetary support.
- Time-bound Payment: Claims approved by State Health Authorities paid within 10 days.
- Grievance Redressal: District-level oversight by Road Safety Committee chaired by District Collector/DM.
Significance:
- Addresses India’s high road accident fatality burden, where nearly 50% of deaths are preventable with timely treatment.
- Strengthens the Good Samaritan (Rah-Veer) ecosystem by enabling immediate hospital coordination.
- Enhances digital governance in healthcare and road safety through integrated platforms.
