Gandhinagar, March 6 (IANS) A state-level workshop was held in Gandhinagar to strengthen the implementation of the PM-RAHAT scheme in Gujarat, aimed at ensuring that road accident victims receive immediate medical treatment during the critical “golden hour” without financial barriers.

The one-day workshop was organised by the Gujarat Road Safety Authority and attended by road safety nodal officers from districts across the state, senior officials from state police and the Health Department, along with representatives from other concerned departments on Friday.

The PM-RAHAT scheme, launched by the Central government, is designed to ensure that victims of road accidents receive prompt medical care during the golden hour — the period immediately after an accident when timely treatment can be crucial to saving lives.

Under the scheme, accident victims are entitled to cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh in hospitals for a maximum of seven days, ensuring that lack of money does not delay urgent medical care.

Opening the workshop, Gujarat Road Safety Authority Commissioner Satish Patel introduced the scheme and highlighted the importance of providing treatment within the golden hour following an accident.

He stressed the need for strong coordination among different departments so that the benefits of the scheme reach accident victims effectively across the state.

IG of the State Traffic Branch, M.L. Ninama, provided guidance on the role of the police department in the process of providing cashless treatment to accident victims.

He explained procedures related to accident reporting, documentation and coordination with hospitals to ensure that victims are brought under the scheme without delay.

State Traffic Branch SP Sahitya V also briefed participants on the operational aspects of the programme and its implementation in Gujarat.

Officials from the Health Department discussed the role of medical teams in providing timely treatment and registering accident victims under the scheme.

Upendra Gandhi, Deputy Director of PM-JAY, said the scheme had been launched by the central government to benefit accident victims and required coordinated work between police and health authorities.

“Police ensure that the victim reaches hospital on time and within 24 hours an electronic detailed accident report should be generated. The Health Department takes care of treatment and registers the patient on the PM-RAHAT portal. The vehicle involved in the accident is not covered under the scheme,” he said.

Sahitya said the Centre had directed all states to implement the programme and that it had been operational in Gujarat since February 13.

She said several agencies, including the Health Department, Police Department, 108 emergency services and 112 emergency response teams, were coordinating under the framework.

“Whenever an accident happens, the 108 service informs the hospital as well as the police. Police verify that it is a road accident, identify the victim and then pass the information to the hospital,” he said.

PM-RAHAT, which stands for Prime Minister Road Accident Victim Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment, aims to ensure that victims receive immediate, assured medical care during critical times and that financial constraints do not prevent life-saving treatment.

The workshop focused on improving coordination between departments so that the scheme can be implemented effectively across Gujarat.

–IANS

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