NEW DELHI: Now

will bear all the bills incurred on the treatment of victims of road accidents,

in private or government hospitals. The

scheme brought in the meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by chief minister

, was approved on Tuesday. There is no upper cap on the expenses borne by the government.

Irrespective of domicile, the victims will get free treatment if the mishaps take place within the geographical jurisdiction of Delhi. The treatment is already free in government hospitals, but any other bills incurred during treatment will also be paid by the government.

The decision is crucial for saving lives of accident victims many of whom fail to survive because a significant amount of time is lost in locating government hospitals after accidents. Many accident victims are turned away from private hospitals under various pretext when they feel that the victims are poor.

"Our aim is to save as many lives as possible. Even when a private hospital is located near by, many accident victims are taken to government hospitals and often the golden hour is lost in transport. Medical assistance in the golden hour is key to saving lives," said health minister Satyender Jain who briefed the media after the cabinet meeting.

In a similar populist move in July the government had brought a scheme to foot the bills of surgeries for the residents of Delhi in 48 private hospitals.