PM RAHAT Scheme: Features, Challenges, and Significance

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Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the launch of the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment) Scheme.

What is PM RAHAT Scheme?

It is a national initiative, by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, to provide cashless medical treatment for road accident victims. 

Objective: Utilize the "Golden Hour"—the first 60 minutes after an accident—to save lives by removing financial and administrative hurdles to immediate medical care. 

Key Features of the PM RAHAT Scheme

Cashless Trauma Care: Cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh per person per accident. Coverage is applicable for a maximum of 7 days from the accident date.

Universal Eligibility: The scheme covers all road accident victims on Indian roads, including foreign nationals, regardless of financial status.

Focus on the "Golden Hour": Providing critical medical care to trauma victims within the first hour is medically proven to maximize the chance of survival.

Implementing Agency: The National Health Authority (NHA) is the central agency implementing the scheme in coordination with state police, hospitals, and State Health Agencies.

No Upfront Payment: Empaneled hospitals must provide stabilization and treatment without requiring advance deposits.

Funding Mechanism: The scheme is funded through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, which was created under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.

What is the significance of this Scheme?

India faces a severe road safety crisis, often called the "road accident capital of the world," contributing roughly 11% of global road deaths despite having only 1% of the world's vehicles.

High Fatality Rate: India has the highest number of road accident deaths globally. In 2024, the country recorded 4.73 lakh road accidents leading to 1.77 lakh deaths. (Source: PIB)

• Deaths linked specifically to potholes rose by 53% over the last five years, reaching 2,385 fatalities in 2024 alone.

The "Golden Hour" Deficit: The Law Commission of India highlights that 50% of road accident deaths are preventable if victims get medical care within the first hour.  

Economic Burden on Families: Immediate trauma care is expensive. According to the World Bank, high Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) on road crash injuries pushes many Indian families into poverty.

• Road accidents cost the Indian economy between 3% to 5% of its GDP annually. (Source: World Bank).
• About 66.4% of victims belong to the productive age group of 18–45 years, impacting the nation's demographic dividend. (Source: MoRTH, 2023)

Legal Mandate: The scheme fulfills the government's obligation under Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which mandates providing cashless treatment for accident victims.

What are the Challenges in Implementing PM RAHAT Scheme?

Private Sector Hesitation

Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Parmanand Katara vs Union of India (1989) prioritizing life-saving, many private hospitals hesitate to admit accident victims due to complexities surrounding legalities.

• In Parmanand Katara vs Union of India (1989) case, the Court established that every injured citizen has an enforceable right to immediate emergency medical care, overriding legal or procedural formalities. 
• The judgment held that, under Article 21, the state and private hospitals/doctors are obligated to prioritize saving lives over police, bureaucratic, or medico-legal procedures.

Funding Adequacy

While the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF) and insurance contributions back the scheme, there are concerns about the long-term adequacy of funds if accident rates continue to rise.

Infrastructure Gaps

Trauma care facilities are largely concentrated in urban areas. The absence of well-equipped hospitals along highways in rural areas could defeat the "Golden Hour" objective.

Technological Integration

Successful claims and hospital admissions require the smooth operation of eDAR (Electronic Detailed Accident Report) and TMS 2.0 (Transaction Management System); platform downtime halts these processes.

Ambulance Response Time

Though the scheme covers payment, timely physical transport to a hospital is challenging, with weak real-time coordination between 112, ambulances, and hospitals outside major metros.

Way Forward

Strengthening the Ecosystem

Build trauma care centers every 50 km on National Highways, as recommended by the Sundar Committee.

Enforcement and Awareness

Enforce and publicize the Good Samaritan Law (under MVAA 2019) to encourage bystander assistance without fear of legal harassment.

Preventive Measures

Utilize the iRAD database to identify accident "Black Spots" and implement engineering and enforcement solutions to prevent crashes in the first place.

Judicial and Systemic Reforms

Ensure full compliance with Supreme Court directives on road safety audits and engineering improvements, as mandated in the S. Rajaseekaran vs Union of India case.

Conclusion

While PM RAHAT offers a financial safety net, the national goal should be "Vision Zero"—eliminating road fatalities via better engineering, education, and enforcement.

Source: newsonair