Supreme Court Orders Cashless Treatment for Road Accident Victims Within Golden Hour

The Center to formulate a cashless treatment plan for the injured by March 14
The Supreme Court directed the central government to formulate a plan by March 14 for providing cashless treatment to victims of road accidents under the Motor Vehicles Act, which would ensure treatment within one hour, known as the Golden Hour.

1.8 lakh people died in road accidents across India. 66% of fatal accident victims were youth aged 18 to 34 years.

The bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih referred to Section 162(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, in their order. It stated that, according to subsection 2(12-A), the Golden Hour refers to the first hour following an injury sustained in an accident, during which timely treatment has the highest likelihood of preventing death. The bench emphasized that this one-hour period post-traumatic injury is crucial. In many cases, if necessary treatment is not administered in time, the injured person may lose their life.

The bench noted that Section 162 is significant in the current scenario, as the number of vehicular accidents is continuously rising. Therefore, the court directed the government to formulate regulations. This process is required to be completed by March 14, without any extension. The bench also instructed that a copy of the plan be kept on record by March 21, along with an affidavit from an official of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways detailing the implementation process.

Concerns regarding the center’s proposal to provide a maximum of one and a half lakh rupees.
The applicant’s lawyer expressed several concerns regarding the content of the center’s concept note. He mentioned that the proposed plan includes a provision for a maximum payment of one and a half lakh rupees, and treatment would only be provided for seven days. The bench remarked that attention should be paid to these two concerns while formulating the plan. The scheme should be designed to achieve the goal of saving lives by providing immediate treatment.

Union Transport Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari informed, just a day prior on Tuesday, during a two-day workshop of the Transport Development Council, that injured individuals in accidents would receive cashless treatment for up to seven days, with a maximum payout of one and a half lakh rupees. He also stated that this scheme would be implemented nationwide by March. However, following the court’s directive, the government would now have to reconsider this.

The Medical Bulletin