CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian met the 2,00,000th patient to benefit from the ‘Innuyir Kappom – Nammai Kaakum 48’ scheme at a private hospital in the city.

As a part of the scheme, the State Health Department bears the cost of road-accident victims and their treatment upto Rs 1 lakh for the first 48 hours.

Within the first 48 hours of accident, the scheme makes 81 crucial medical treatments available, free of cost, for all. The scheme has about 692 empanelled hospitals including 237 government and 455 private sector hospitals.

Subramanian interacted with the patient at Rela Hospital on Tuesday. A college student from Andhra Pradesh, who met with an accident riding a two-wheeler, and another student, who was also injured in the accident, are both being treated here.

“The scheme has helped in treating road accident victims at the earliest. More people are volunteering to rescue victims and rush them to the hospitals. However, as per the revised regulations, bystanders who bring a victim to the hospital need not worry about police inquiry or hospital expenses,” the minister said.

Treatment at a cost of Rs 173.51 crore was provided to 1,99,972 patients under this scheme, from the day of its launch on December 18, 2021, until November 26, 2023. In TN, Rs 173.77 crore has been spent on 2 lakh beneficiaries since the commencement of the scheme in the State.

Any individual, from any district or State will be treated free of cost at the empanelled hospitals.