Tamil Nadu Government has announced a novel scheme under which accident victims will be provided with free emergency treatment for 48 hours at government and private hospitals located on or near the highways. The scheme will also cover people from other states and other countries.
At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday, the government decided to launch the scheme and allotted Rs 50 crore as the initial fund. Under the scheme, anyone who meets with an accident will be eligible to get free treatment up to Rs 1 lakh for 48 hours at over 600 hospitals identified by the government.
The scheme will be implemented for 12 months and will be integrated with the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. Officials said the scheme’s aim was to ensure that those who meet with accidents are treated immediately and that a new law on the emergency response will be brought in the Assembly.
The meeting also decided to set up a Road Safety Authority in the state to frame guidelines to enhance road safety. Commenting on the free treatment scheme, Dr J Amalorpavanathan said it was a “revolutionary by any standard.”
"Golden Hour is important. Now patients can rush to the nearest hospital without thinking about the cost. The impact will be felt soon. Government of Tamil Nadu should publish the results of this thoughtful intervention in medical journals soon,” Amalorpavanathan, a member of the State Planning Commission, said.
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(Published 19 November 2021, 14:01 IST)
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