Two years after it was first announced, the State government has finally decided to implement the Balasaheb Thackeray Accidental Insurance Scheme to give compensation to the victims of road accidents.
Minister for Public Health Deepak Sawant was responding to a calling attention motion raised MLC Prasad Lad in the upper House on Friday. Mr. Sawant said that there was a delay in the implementation of the scheme because the government had been awaiting clarity from the Centre on a similar plan. The scheme will ensure treatment during the golden hour is made available to all road accident victims in State-run and private hospitals at a nominal cost.
‘Can’t deny treatment’
Under the scheme, victims of road accidents are entitled to a maximum benefit of ₹30,000 or free treatment for 72 hours. The scheme mandates that accident victims cannot be denied treatment by hospitals in the State. Mr. Sawant said, “The tendering process for the scheme is complete. We will be able to issue work orders soon and begin its implementation.”
The Balasaheb Thackeray scheme was introduced on June 7, 2016, but in the interim the Centre came up with the Ayushman Bharat Yojna or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The State wanted clarity on norms for both the schemes to ensure there was no overlap.
The State will now have three similar schemes giving cover to accident victims: Ayushman Bharat Yojna, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Balasaheb Thackeray Accidental Insurance Scheme.
‘Lives at risk’
Mr. Lad said, “The scheme has been pending for long and many people have been denied treatment putting lives at risk in the past. It must be implemented immediately.”