PM RAHAT Scheme

PM RAHAT Scheme

Context

Launched in February 2026, the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) scheme is a nationwide initiative designed to provide immediate, cashless medical care. By removing financial barriers during the critical "Golden Hour," the government aims to drastically reduce road accident fatalities across India.

About PM RAHAT Scheme

What is it? PM RAHAT is a national cashless emergency treatment framework that provides financial coverage up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for the first 7 days following an accident.

Key Organizations Involved:

• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH): Provides policy oversight and maintains the eDAR (Electronic Detailed Accident Report) platform.
• National Health Authority (NHA): Manages claim processing via the TMS 2.0 (Transaction Management System), ensuring seamless hospital coordination.

Core Objectives

• Zero Fatality Goal: Ensuring no life is lost simply because immediate medical funds were unavailable.
• Golden Hour Intervention: Prioritizing the first 60 minutes after an accident, which is medically proven to be the most critical for survival.
• Hospital Assurance: Guaranteeing payments to hospitals to prevent them from denying treatment due to payment concerns.

Key Features & Digital Integration

• Universal Eligibility: Covers all victims (including foreign nationals) on any category of road (National Highways, State Highways, or local roads).
• Stabilization Window: * 24 Hours: For non-life-threatening injuries.
  • 48 Hours: For life-threatening injuries, subject to police authentication.
• Emergency Support: Integrated with the 112 ERSS helpline. Good Samaritans (Rah-Veers) or bystanders can dial 112 to locate the nearest designated hospital and request an ambulance.
   
• Funding Mechanism: Payments are drawn from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF).
  • For insured vehicles: Contributions from insurance companies.
  • For uninsured/Hit & Run cases: Budgetary support from the Central Government.
• Time-Bound Payments: Hospitals receive claim settlements within 10 days of approval by State Health Authorities.

Significance of the Scheme

• Preventing Economic Shock: Protects families from "catastrophic health expenditure" and distress borrowing during a sudden medical crisis.
• Good Samaritan Support: Empowering bystanders (Rah-Veers) to help without fear of legal or financial repercussions, as hospitals are now mandated to provide treatment without upfront deposits.
• Data-Driven Safety: Integration with the iRAD (Integrated Road Accident Database) helps identify "Black Spots" (accident-prone areas) for future infrastructure improvements.

Challenges

• Hospital Empanelment: Ensuring that private hospitals in remote areas are onboarded and willing to accept the scheme’s rates.
• Digital Uptime: The scheme relies heavily on the synchronization of eDAR and TMS 2.0; any platform downtime could hinder hospital admissions.
• Verification Timelines: Mandatory police authentication within 24–48 hours requires high efficiency from local law enforcement to ensure treatment remains "uninterrupted."

Conclusion

PM RAHAT marks a shift toward a "Citizen-First" safety model. By treating emergency care as a right rather than a privilege, the scheme strengthens India's trauma care ecosystem and moves the nation closer to its goal of reducing road accident deaths by 50% by 2030.