On the 7th of January, Ramesh*, a businessman from Telangana, and his friend Krishna* were on their way to meet a friend in their hometown of Warangal. There were a group of pedestrians who had safely crossed the road, but one of them had an unfortunate change of mind that made her take a step backwards. That impulsive spur of the moment action proved to be fatal as the bike Ramesh and Krishna were riding collided with her at that very instant. Ramesh lost control of it and went skidding along the road. Krishna was injured, but not too grievously, however, Ramesh and the pedestrian who had been hit lay bleeding and unconscious. A crowd gathered around the scene but was hesitant to take any further course of action owing to the fear of any possible legal hassles and Police harassment. Krishna who himself was in no good shape and having gone through the ordeal of a road accident was unsure of what to do. But there was one kind-hearted bystander who decided saving lives was more important than worrying about any possible troubles he may face later on. He hailed an auto-rickshaw and took the three of them to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the largest government-run hospital in the district and got Ramesh and the lady admitted. With the help of Krishna, he informed a friend Ravi* about Ramesh’s condition and knowing that they all were in safe hands, went his way not lingering any further. It is however evident that even this passerby was not unafraid of being dragged to court for his kind deed as the ‘brought by’ information entered in the hospital records was that of Ravi who was on his way.
“Words cannot convey how grateful I am. I only wish I get to meet him someday so that I can thank him for saving my life,” said Ramesh. “Everyone must help a fellow human being in need, and one can’t sleep peacefully knowing that they could have saved a life but chose to walk away instead,” said Ravi who thanks the Good Samaritan for saving his friend’s life. When asked if they would take an accident victim to the hospital if they happened to come across such a situation, both of them replied in the affirmative. “That is the least I can do, and it is my duty to pass on the good deed done to me. It’s probably the only way I can thank my faceless saviour,” said an overwhelmed Ramesh. The pedestrian whom the bike collided with, too, was out of danger. Though this story restores faith in humanity, it continues to remain one of the rarest cases on record as very few people are inclined to help victims of road accidents. The Head Constable at the Police Outpost in M.G.M hospital assures us that repeated calls from the Police are something that people need not worry about. “We pass on the case details to the Police station whose jurisdiction the case falls under, and they contact the informant, not more than once, usually. They are required to give an eye-witness account, and that would be all,” he says. This case is in stark contrast to the incident that took place in Koppal, Karnataka where 18-year-old Anwar Ali was hit while cycling and lay on the road for around 25 minutes before someone stepped in to take him to the nearest hospital – but the minutes lost led to his tragic demise.
A study on the Impediments to Bystander Care in India was conducted by SAVELIFE Foundation in 2013, and among the 1027 who were surveyed, 74% responded in the negative – when asked about their willingness to help a road accident victim. Most of them cited fear of legal hassles as the main reason for not personally taking them to the hospital. In 2012, SAVELIFE Foundation filed a PIL to enforce the Good Samaritan law that ensures legal protection to bystanders who come forward to help those injured in road accidents. On the 30th of March, 2016, the Supreme Court of India gave a ‘force of law’ to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways until the Union Legislature passes an appropriate Legislation. Karnataka remains the only state where the State Legislature has passed this.
Professional Opinion Of Medical And Legal Experts
“There will be no legal action taken against a bystander and doing so would be against the spirit of humanity. Legal action can be taken against those officials who harass the first responders and disrupt their day-to-day business,” said Bixapathi Rayabarapu, an advocate based in Warangal. I also spoke to a representative of Ali Law Associates, Warangal, who reaffirmed the same and stated that the law is on the side of those rushing to the aid of victims. The minutes that follow a road accident are very crucial and can make a huge difference that could either mean life or death. Dr. Sridevi, a trauma and emergency surgeon at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital Chennai, explains the importance of the Golden Hour after an accident during which there may yet be hope for the patient. “The person’s body experiences different types of shocks following an injury. Blood loss and haemorrhaging occur and in order to ensure blood supply to major organs, narrowing of blood vessels (known as peripheral vasoconstriction) occurs. This is called compensated stage of shock. But as minutes tick by, the haemorrhaging continues and the compensation stage is compromised, thereby decreasing the chances of survival. Hence, taking a patient to the hospital at the earliest may prove to be a life-saving measure. However, if the place of accident is far away from the hospital, it is better to call for an ambulance because there may be a need for life-supporting measures,” said Dr.Sridevi.
The table shows the official figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to the deaths due to traffic accidents. Medical professionals reiterate the importance of timely medical aid in increasing the chances of a victim’s survival. Increased awareness about safety and first aid measures as well as about the legal protection offered goes a long way in ensuring that the numbers of accident-related deaths are reduced due to bystander intervention. Ramesh is one among the few who have lived to tell the tale all due to an anonymous stranger’s timely help. Even today, lives which could have been saved continue to be lost simply because of lack of awareness about the legal protection that the first responders have. Let us all pledge to come to the aid of any road accident victim we may encounter, someone might have us to thank for the lives of their parent, child or spouse.