Nearly One hundred and fifty thousand people are killed and nearly half a million people are injured every year due to road accidents in India. An estimated 12% of total road accident fatalities of the world occur on Indian roads. Although, negligent driving, bad roads and mechanical defects of the vehicles are considered as major causes for road accidents, lack of adequate post-accidental care is also leads to road accident fatalities. Many at times, people who witness road accidents, do not extend helping hand to victims of the accident for fear of harassment and inconvenience. Due to this apathy of the citizens, the medical help which is needed during the ‘Golden Hour’period (first one hour after the road accident) to stabilize the condition of the patient will not happen. Due to lack of crucial medical attention, the victim either succumbs to the injury or becomes permanently disabled.
According to a national study titled “Impediments to Bystander Care in India” conducted by SaveLIFE Foundation and TNS India Pvt. Ltd.-
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- Nearly 74% of bystanders are unlikely to assist victims of road accidents
- 88% of those bystanders have the following reasons for their reluctance:
- Legal hassles,
- Repeated police questioning and
- Multiple court appearances
- 77% of the respondents cited detention at hospitals and having to pay hospital registration charges and fees as reasons for not helping
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In the social media not one, but many road accident clippings are being circulated. Victims plead for help but no one dares to help. Many people simply keep on recording the incident in their cell phones rather than understanding the seriousness and conveying the message to traffic / Police control room or Ambulance line 108 (Free Call). They don’t even bother to shift them to some nearby hospital, little realizing that one day same fate may be experienced by any of us.
The remedy is to develop a culture of Good Samaritan in our society. Good Samaritan refers to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are injured or in traumatic condition or otherwise incapacitated. The phrase Good Samaritan has its origin in the biblical parable of the same name. The parable goes as follows: a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by thieves who left him half dead. Two men passed nearby, but both ignored him and went on their way. A Samaritan (person from Samaria) came by, who helped him, dressed his wound and gave him shelter. The phase Good Samaritan is derived from this parable.
In order to provide emergency helps to victims of road accidents during golden hour period, we need to educate citizens to become ‘Good Samaritans’. Apart from education, a conducive environment should be created to encourage citizens to extend immediate help at the time of medical emergencies without any hassles. Towards this, the Central Government has issued guidelines to all stakeholder agencies like Public Health, Police etc., for protection of Good Samaritan. Some of these guidelines are:
- A bystander or Good Samaritan including an eye witness of a road accident may take an injured person to the nearest hospital, and the bystander or good Samaritan should be allowed to leave immediately except after furnishing address by the eye witness only and no question shall be asked to such bystander or Good Samaritan.
- The bystander or Good Samaritan shall be suitably rewarded or compensated to encourage other citizens to come forward to help the road accident victims by the authorities in the manner as may be specified by the State Governments.
- The bystander or Good Samaritan shall not be liable for any civil and criminal liability.
- A bystander or Good Samaritan, who makes a phone call to inform the police or emergency service on seeing a person lying injured on the road, shall not be compelled to reveal his name and personal details on the phone or in person.
- The disclosure of personal information, such as name and contact details of the good Samaritan shall be made voluntary and optional including in the Medico Legal Case (MLC) Form provided by hospitals.
- In case a bystander or good Samaritan, who has voluntarily stated that he is also a eye-witness to the accident and is required to be examined for the purposes of investigation by the police or during the trial, such bystander or good Samaritan shall be examined on a single occasion and the State Government shall develop standard operating procedures to ensure that bystander or good Samaritan is not harassed or intimidated.
- Lack of response by a doctor in an emergency situation pertaining to road accidents, where he is expected to provide care, shall constitute “Professional Misconduct” under Chapter 7 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation, 2002 and disciplinary action shall be taken against such doctor under chapter 8 of the said Regulations.
In order to encourage Good Samaritan and also to provide immediate trauma care to road accident victims, the Government of Karnataka has also initiated a scheme called Mukhyamanthri Santwana ‘Harish’ Scheme. It is implemented through Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, an autonomous and registered body under Health and Family Welfare Department of the State Government. This scheme was launched in the memory of Shri. Harish who died in road accident near Nelamangala. Under this Scheme, Any victim of road accident will get instant medical treatment during the first 48 hours with a maximum ceiling of Rs. 25,000/- per victim per accident.
Though the Central Government and the State Government has taken effective steps to encourage citizens to come forward and help the accident victims, but still it is a long journey. Civil society and non-Governmental organizations can play an effective role in creating awareness and sensitizing the people. Government agencies and non-government organizations should join hands to ensure that a suitable environment is created so that every citizen becomes Good Samaritan. This will go a long way in saving precious human lives.