Noida: The district administration has added 43 hospitals where accident victims can avail cashless treatment and called for better coordination among police, hospitals, health officials and road-owning agencies to reduce road fatalities and ensure faster treatment for accident victims.In a meeting of the district road safety committee on Thursday, additional district magistrate (administration) Sanjay Kumar Pandey reviewed road safety measures and directed departments to jointly inspect accident-prone stretches and expedite corrective work. Measures include improving road signs, markings, reflectors and dividers, as well as installing speed-control features to help motorists identify hazards and avoid collisions.The meeting was attended by officials from the police, traffic police, health and excise departments, the public works department, development authorities, road construction agencies and other concerned departments. The administration also stressed the need to raise public awareness about road safety and encourage motorists to follow traffic rules.Steps to tackle traffic congestion and violations on major roads and intersections were also discussed in the meeting. “Agencies directed to curb illegal parking, ensure vehicle fitness and strengthen enforcement of traffic rules. The public works department, development authorities and road construction agencies were asked to complete pending safety-related works within stipulated deadlines and in accordance with prescribed standards,” said an official.Apart from preventive measures, the district administration identified 43 hospitals, separate from the ones under PM-JAY scheme, that will be added to the PM-Rahat scheme network. Victims of road accidents can choose to receive cashless treatment in these hospitals in addition to those empanelled under PM-JAY scheme.Pandey directed the chief medical officer to alert all 43 hospitals and ensure that information about the scheme is displayed at police stations, as police personnel are often the first responders at accident sites. “Hospital managements will also be invited to the next District Road Safety Committee meeting to review implementation and address gaps,” he added.Officials also discussed measures to streamline the process and improve coordination among hospitals and concerned departments so that eligible accident victims can access treatment without unnecessary delays.Assistant regional transport officer (enforcement) Udit Narayan Pandey also briefed officials on the procedures for providing cashless treatment under the PM-Rahat scheme. The briefing covered the recording of treatment details at hospitals, submission of accident cases through the e-DAR portal, police verification and other procedural requirements.TOI had reported earlier this month that there had been few claims of cashless treatment in Noida in the first four months of the year, averaging about 30 per month. According to traffic police data, the city recorded 577 road accidents between Jan and July this year, claiming 450 lives.Officials said a mix of low public and institutional awareness, procedural bottlenecks and uneven hospital empanelment were coming in the way of the ultimate intention
