Centre launches PM RAHAT to provide emergency response system for accident victims

New Delhi: The Centre 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 in any category of road are entitled to cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for a period of seven days from the date of the accident.

This was the first decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after shifting the Prime Minister Office to Seva Teerth from South Block on Friday, said a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Stabilisation treatment will be provided for up to 24 hours in non-life-threatening cases and up to 48 hours in life-threatening cases, subject to police authentication on an integrated digital system, said the statement.

PM RAHAT is implemented through a robust, technology-driven framework amalgamating the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with the Transaction Management System (TMS 2.0) of the National Health Authority.

Together, these systems are intended to manage the flow of information from the moment an accident is reported, to hospital admission, treatment, claim submission, and payment.

Reimbursements to hospitals are routed through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF). If the vehicle responsible for the accident was insured, payment is drawn from a pool funded by General Insurance Companies. In cases of hit-and-run or incidents involving uninsured vehicles, the cost is met through central government budgetary allocation.

Integration with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112 helpline ensures that accident victims reach hospitals within the 'golden hour'. Road accident victims, Rah-Veer (Good Samaritans), or any person at the accident site may dial 112 to obtain details of the nearest designated hospital and request ambulance assistance, enabling swift coordination between emergency responders, police authorities and hospitals, the statement said.