Lucknow, Dec 19 (IANS): The Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) has launched a government scheme that provides free treatment for the first 24 hours to those injured in road accidents.

The facility has been started at the Apex trauma centre of SGPGIMS.

The first case was that of a youth and surgery was successfully performed on his hand.

No fee was charged from him for the surgery.

Giving this information, medical superintendent of the trauma centre Prof Rajesh Harshvardhan said very serious patients will also be given the benefit of this facility.

"Rahul Singh, a resident of Mohanlalganj, is a truck driver. He was involved in a road accident on Saturday morning. He suffered fractures at three places in his hand. The youth was successfully operated upon. It not only saved his life but his hand too. No fee was charged from him," he added.

Dr Pulak Sharma of the department of orthopaedic surgery operated on the patient.

The facility will help in saving lives of accident victims.

"The first 24 hours are crucial and often, it takes that much time to contact family members of the victim and their coming to the hospital because in some cases, the family lives outside Lucknow. With this facility, we can start treatment without waiting for the family," said a SGPGIMS doctor.