A step in time

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To reduce the number of deaths in road accidents in India, the government will reward “good samaritans” who assist road accident victims and rush them to hospitals inside the “golden hour.” They will be given Rs 5,000 in cash and an appreciation note to recognise their effort. They will also be eligible for a Rs 1 lakh prize, awarded to 10 such samaritans each year. The golden hour is defined as the one hour following a severe injury when there is the greatest chance of preventing death by giving prompt medical care.

On Monday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) stated in a letter to the principal and transport secretaries of all states and union territories that the scheme would be in force from October 15, 2021, to March 31, 2026. Accidents that result in major surgery or at least three days in the hospital, as well as brain and spinal cord damage, will be eligible for the reward.

As per the guidelines, if the incident is reported to the police by an individual, the police shall acknowledge the gesture on official letter pad after checking data from the doctor. The involved police station would send a copy of the acknowledgment to the appraisal committee created at the district level under the chairmanship of the district magistrate, with a copy marked to the benefactor. If a Good Samaritan brings the sufferer directly to the hospital, the hospital must send all pertinent information to the appropriate police station. The police will acknowledge the efforts of the individual.

To obtain the necessary data for the reward, the ministry will launch a new portal. The district administration will enter the details of the citizen aiding the injured, such as name, address, mobile number, incident information, etc. This information can also be uploaded to the portal by local police or hospital trauma centre personnel.

India suffers the highest number of road accident fatalities in the world with 1.5 people being killed a year and 4.5 lakh crippled due to road accidents. The new step can help overcome public apathy to help accident victims. When an accident takes places, the usual reaction of most of the passers-by is to ignore and move on since most fear getting dragged into lengthy police/court procedures if they take a victim to a hospital.