The Delhi government has asked hospitals to immediately implement its cashless treatment scheme for accident, and burn and acid attack victims at private hospitals and nursing homes.
The Delhi government had recently issued detailed guidelines for free and mandatory treatment of victims of accidents, acid attacks and fire incidents in the State. The guidelines states that “there will be cashless treatment of medico-legal victims of road accident, acid attack and thermal burn injury, where incident has occurred in the National Capital Territory [NCT] of Delhi. The treatment will be held in registered nursing homes or private hospitals situated in the NCT.”
The guidelines, issued by the Delhi government’s Health Ministry Joint Secretary, include eligibility criteria of domicile and income status of the victim for receiving cashless treatment. The guidelines further add that reimbursement of treatment of these victims at nursing home/private hospital will be made through the ‘Delhi Arogya Kosh’.
The victim is not required to carry any document for the purpose of verification/ eligibility, except that the incident should have happened in the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police. The guidelines also add that nursing homes or private hospitals registered under the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953, cannot refuse treatment to injured or serious patients brought to them due to any reason.
“Nursing homes which have taken prior approval of the supervising authority can be exempted from this scheme ...,” the guideline stated. “In case a nursing home or a private hospital refuses to treat or stabilise a medico-legal victim, and no prior exemption for the same has given by the supervising authority or has not provided cashless treatment to such victims....a notice to show cause will be issued...as to why its registration should not be cancelled.”
