Supreme Court directs Centre to ensure cashless medical treatment for accident victims

New Delhi: In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has directed the Central Government to develop a scheme for providing cashless medical treatment to motor accident victims during the critical golden hour.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih, referencing Section 162(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, instructed the government to finalize the scheme by March 14.

The court said the importance of the golden hour, defined under Section 2(12A) of the Act as the crucial one-hour window when timely medical intervention can save an accident victim’s life.

“We direct the Central Government to formulate the scheme under sub-section (2) of Section 162 of the MV Act by March 14. No more time will be granted,” the bench stated.

The Supreme Court also ordered the scheme to be submitted on record by March 21, along with an affidavit from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways explaining its implementation. This move aims to ensure that accident victims receive prompt and appropriate medical care to reduce fatalities.