GOVT ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR FREE TREATMENT OF ACCIDENT VICTIMS
Reimbursement for treatment charges to be offered through ‘Delhi Arogya Kosh’
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Saturday issued detailed guidelines for its programme offering free and mandatory treatment of victims of accident, acid attacks and fires in the national Capital.
“Guidelines issued for free & mandatory treatment of accident, acid burns& fire victims in all hospitals in Delhi.del govt will bear the cost,” Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tweeted on Saturday.
As per the detailed guidelines issued by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government, the scheme will facilitate cashless treatment of medico-legal victims of road accidents, acid attacks and thermal burn injury, in case the accident take place within the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
The treatment will be done in registered nursing homes or private hospitals in the Capital.
The reimbursement will be offered through the ‘Delhi Arogya Kosh,’ created for specifically for the cost incurred during treatment of such victim by the concerned nursing home/private hospital, as per the guidelines.
The guidelines – issued by the Joint Secretary of the Delhi government’s Health and Family department – includes the eligibility criteria of domicile and income status of the victim for receiving cashless treatment.
The victim, or their attendant, will not be required to carry any document for the purpose of verification/eligibility, except that the incident has occurred in the jurisdiction of Delhi Police.
According to the guidelines, nursing homes or private hospitals registered under the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953, cannot refuse treatment to the injured/serious patients brought to them due to any reason, whatsoever.
They further state that under Section 357C of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the “keeper of private hospitals in the NCT of Delhi will immediately provide first-aid or medical treatment, free of cost, to the victims of the offence covered under section 326 A of the Indian Penal Code and will immediately inform the police of such incident.”
As a result, duty is cast on the keeper of every nursing hospital/private hospital to ensure that no victim of acid attack will be returned without being provided first-aid or immediate medical treatment, free of cost. The scheme is aimed at encouraging citizens to take accident victims immediately to a nearest hospital to save their life.