Accident victims to get free treatment for first 48 hours

Government formulating new trauma-care scheme in the State, CM to hold discussions with insurance companies

The government has decided to formulate a trauma-care scheme in the State wherein all emergency care and treatment will be provided to accident victims free-of-cost for the first 48 hours once the person has been admitted to a hospital.

The government will pay for the emergency care expenses incurred by a hospital for an accident victim for the first 48 hours, which would be recouped from insurance companies later.

No money should be collected from the accident victim or his/her relatives for the emergency care provided to the victim for the first 48 hours. The details and operational part of the scheme will be revealed after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan holds discussions with insurance companies, an official release said here.

At a high-level meeting convened by the Chief Minister here on Thursday, it was decided to arrange trauma care facilities in all government medical college hospitals, district hospitals, taluk hospitals, and major private sector hospitals.

Emergency care should not be denied to accident victims by any hospital and treatment should not be restricted only to those with the capacity to pay for treatment, Mr. Vijayan said.

If the accident victim is being taken care of in a private hospital, the cost of immediate emergency care will be met by the government from the Road Safety Fund.

Special ambulance

Special ambulance facility will be arranged to evacuate accident victims from the accident site without delay and provide him emergency care at the nearest hospital. Ambulances will have advanced life-support care facilities. The service will be managed and coordinated through a centralised call centre facility. The government intends to arrange the ambulance service by calling for proposals from private agencies. Separate software will be readied for choosing the nearest ambulance and the right hospital to reach the accident victim. The healthcare personnel involved in transporting the accident victim will be given special training.

The government intends to launch the trauma care project by utilising the Road Safety Fund, the Corporate Social Responsibility Fund of the Kerala State Transport Project and the government’s budgetary allocation.