Accident, burn victims to be treated on Delhi govt’s expense at pvt hospitals

The move is expected to purge the problem of most private hospitals allegedly turning away accident patients and acid attack victims to government hospitals over payment issues.

The Delhi government will bear the expenses of treatment in private hospitals to people injured in road accidents, and victims of burns and acid attacks.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has said that the AAP government will pay the medical expenses in acid attack and accident cases in private hospitals. (HT File)

The move is expected to purge the problem of most private hospitals allegedly turning away accident patients to government hospitals over payment issues.

“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,” Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said.

The government has selected about 230 private hospitals in the city, which have more than 20 beds, intensive care units, and equipped to deal with emergency cases such as road accidents and burns.

“Most often private hospitals either don’t admit road accident victims or simply stabilise the patients before sending them off to a government hospital. They do this because they are unsure about who would pay for the treatment. We will,” Jain said.

The scheme will be available from the next two or three days.

The government will foot the bill for emergency aid, surgeries and two-week hospital stay in economy or similar budget-category beds and wards.

“If the patient needs to stay in hospital for a longer period, the regional director of health services can extend the benefit,” the health minister said.

The only condition is that the accident should happen within New Delhi.

Private hospitals must provide details of all road accident, burns and acid attack victims under their care within 12 hours of admitting them. The patient’s papers, including medico-legal documents, should be submitted to the government to get the free treatment.