Punjab To Provide Free Treatment To Road Accident Victims In 48 Hours

The Punjab government will provide free of cost treatment to all road accident victims within 48 hours of the mishap as part of its 'Farishtey' scheme, Health Minister Balbir Singh said on Tuesday.

"The 'Golden Hour' is the first crucial hour after a road accident. During this time, if a seriously injured person is given critical care, the chances of survival increases highly," he said.

Under the scheme, anyone who takes a road accident victim to a hospital for treatment will be honoured and rewarded with Rs 2,000, the minister said at the inauguration session of a two-day workshop on road safety here There will be no questioning by police or hospital authorities of the person, who brings the road accident victim to a hospital, until and unless the person wants to become an eyewitness, Mr Singh said, according to an official statement.

He said the Punjab government is establishing a system in which all ambulances, including government and private, will be linked together so that people in an emergency can avail their services in as little time as 15 minutes.

"We are also identifying government hospitals situated on state highways to establish and activate robust critical care units so that people can avail world-class treatment at government health facilities," the minister said.

Additional Director General of Police Amardeep Singh Rai said Punjab is all set to become the first state in the country to introduce a 'Sadak Surakhya Force' (road safety force). Personnel of this force will be provided hi-tech vehicles and a separate uniform, he said.

"We really hope that this big initiative by the state government will help save precious lives," Mr Rai said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)