Source: ‘Delays during golden hour lead to loss of lives’…Road Accident Fund to ensure service providers get paid – Sunday News Jun 25, 2017
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has noted that some service providers like ambulances and fire departments were reluctant to offer services at accident scenes because there was no guarantee of payment.
This has seen people losing their lives and property as service provider’s debate before attending to an accident or fire.
Deputy Minister Eng Michael Madanha told the Sunday News that the ministry has been receiving such reports during stakeholder consultations over the Road Accident Fund.
“We have been meeting stakeholders finding their views on the creation of the Road Accident Fund and what we are getting is that during the golden hour which is the hour after an accident, we expect that service providers should have arrived by then, people ferried to hospital by an ambulance, fires put out and people moved away from danger. Some will need blood and medication as soon as they are hospitalised. However, these service providers are not sure on who will foot the bills so there is resistance by these people. So there are delays in victims being assisted,” he said.
Eng Madanha said delays during the golden hour were leading to loss of lives and property. The proposed Road Accident Fund will ensure that service providers have a reliable source to claim their money after they have attended an accident scene.
He said it will be a guarantee of payment such that they carry out their duties diligently knowing they will claim their money afterwards.
Eng Madanha said the launching of a Road Accident Fund was necessary to cater for post crash victims. He said in the case of a state of disaster the fund will assist victims and survivors.
“The Government can only offer $200 in the case of disasters which will not be adequate for the families so the fund comes in to complement Government efforts so that victims are buried decently and even the family that remains can benefit especially when a bread winner has died,” said Eng Madanha.
Furthermore, the fund will cater for hit and run accidents victims where no one takes responsibility for the incident.
“Imagine a private operator attending a hit and run scene, there is no guarantee that someone will foot the ambulance and hospital bill, maybe the relatives will not have any money to pay yet these people are in business. How do they sustain themselves if there is no guarantee? It is essential to have this fund,” he said.
Eng Madanha lamented that most vehicles and people in Zimbabwe are not insured. He said with third party insurance, the public has been having difficulties in claiming money for vehicle repairs, hospitalisation or funeral expenses.
Public Service Vehicles, he said, need to have passenger insurance liability whereby they pay insurance companies that will in turn assist victims of road accidents. Eng Madanha said so far there has been positive response concerning the Road Accident Fund and hopes were that a Bill will be tabled before Parliament to this effect and debated.
“We hope by July we will be done and it is debated however, it has been widely accepted so we are optimistic about it,” he said
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