Delhi govt to now foot bill of all accident victims in both govt and pvt hospitals

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday announced that the state government will provide free treatment to all accident victims in the national Capital. "If there is any accident case within Delhi and the victim is admitted to any hospital, including privates ones, then Delhi government will bear the entire cost of treatment.The victim does not have to pay anything," said Jain while speaking at the inauguration of new ventilator machines at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. The government has reportedly chosen more than 230 private hospitals around the Capital to provide such treatment.

"Our aim is to save as many lives as possible. Precious hours are lost when police commute long distances to take the victims to a government hospital," the Minister said.The government will pay for emergency medical aid, surgery and two- week stay. This may also be extended in case the victim is required to stay in the hospital for a longer time. While it is crucial for accident victims to be rushed to the hospital on time, logistics like payment to the hospital, not being taken to the hospital on time sometimes proves fatal.

According to Jain, in the last one year Out Patient Departments (OPDs) in various hospitals had treated a total of four crore patients. This number is growing fast. "The Aam Aadmi Party government will increase the mohalla clinics from the existing 110 to 1,000 in the next six months, so that the burden on the Delhi government hospitals is reduced. The government is also willing to increase the number of polyclinics from 23 to 150 in the coming months.

Jain also offered to extend help to those Delhi patients who were compelled to undergo surgeries at the city's private hospitals due to the long wait in Delhi government hospitals. "If the waiting time for a patient's surgery in a Delhi government hospital goes beyond one month then we (Delhi government) will get the surgery done in private hospitals of Delhi and bear the entire cost of treatment," he said.

The Delhi government had last month approved a Good Samaritan bill with a reward of Rs 2,000 for those helping accident victims in the city. It was Deputy CM Manish Sisodia who had announced it in January this year. Accident victims are often left to die or left helpless because of the legal procedures involved.

However, these steps by the Delhi government could help accident victims and acid attack victims get faster treatment.