To save precious lives of people met with road accidents, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday issued a fervent appeal to all private hospitals to join hands with the State Government under its ambitious Farishtey scheme — aimed at providing free treatment to all road accident victims.
Dr Balbir emphasized the Government's commitment to utilizing the ‘Golden Hour’ — the crucial first hour after a road accident — to provide immediate and unbiased medical care to accident victims, regardless of nationality, caste, or socio-economic status.
“We want to make maximum use of the ‘golden hour’ to save precious lives of road accident victims, and without discrimination based on nationality, caste, or socio-economic status, the Punjab Government will ensure free treatment of all the road accident victims at nearby hospitals, including private hospitals,” he stated.
He stressed the importance of collaboration with private healthcare institutions, urging hospitals, especially those providing tertiary and secondary care, to join the scheme. Empanelled hospitals will receive compensation based on the HBP 2.2 package rates defined by the National Health Authority. The State Health Agency has identified 52 packages covering the treatment of roadside victims.
“So far, 384 hospitals in the State have registered under the Farishtay Scheme, with 146 being public hospitals and 238 private hospitals,” revealed the Minister.
Elaborating on the upcoming flagship Farishtay Scheme, the Minister said that a reward of Rs 2,000 will be given to anyone bringing a road accident victim to the hospital for treatment. He assured that there would be no questioning by the police or hospital authorities unless the person voluntarily chooses to become an eyewitness.