AP rolls out Rs 1.5 lakh free treatment for road accident victims

Vijayawada: Aimed at enhancing emergency healthcare, the state govt on Saturday announced up to Rs 1.5 lakh free treatment to road accident victims as part of the PM-Rahat scheme through all Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust scheme network hospitals in the state.As part of the rollout, a dedicated unit has been set up within the trust, and 704 hospitals, including 687 private and 17 govt facilities with ortho and polytrauma services, have been brought under its network.Under the scheme, accident victims will receive free treatment for up to seven days or until expenses reach Rs 1.5 lakh, irrespective of their financial status or place of residence. Authorities emphasised that hospitals must begin treatment immediately upon admission.Announcing the implementation of the scheme, health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav stated that the initiative aligns with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and that necessary instructions have been issued to hospital managements, district collectors and other officials. Payments to hospitals will be processed either through insurance agencies or via the public financial management system (PFMS) under district administrations, the health minister noted.Officials revealed that the trust spends an average of Rs 27 crore per month on accident-related treatments, with nearly 70% of cases linked to road accidents.The scheme also introduces an electronic detailed accident report (e-DAR) system, enabling real-time coordination between hospitals and police. Hospitals are required to upload patient and accident details through the transaction management system (TMS 2.0), with approvals for treatment to be issued within six hours.Authorities clarified that the scheme covers all types of roads and accidents, including hit-and-run cases. Even non-empanelled hospitals providing emergency care under the scheme will be eligible for reimbursement.The PM-Rahat initiative is expected to reduce financial burden on victims and ensure timely, life-saving treatment across the state.