The Centre’s Good Samaritan scheme aimed at encouraging and felicitating those helping road accident victims has received a good response from the states for more than a month since its launch.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced this scheme so that taking a road accident victim to a hospital is not only hassle-free, but also encourages reward and recognition.
Historically, Indians have been reluctant to take victims to hospital after relevant legal procedures and investigations.
To address this, the Center inserted section 134A in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which deals with “protection of good people”. It states that a Good Samaritan shall not be liable for any civil or criminal action for any injury or death to the victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle, where such injury or death may be caused by the negligent act of the Good Samaritan. or as a result of failure to act while providing emergency medical or non-medical care or assistance, etc.
However, despite the Center being ready to give an initial grant of Rs 5 lakh for this, the states have not even opened bank accounts to receive the money. Sources said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which sent a reminder last month, will send another reminder to the states to implement the scheme. The Center also wants to felicitate the top ten good people in Delhi during Road Safety Month next year.
Under this scheme, any person who helps save a life by taking a road accident victim to a hospital is entitled to a reward of Rs.5,000 per accident. The new law is that the “Good Samaritan” is free not to reveal his name to the hospital or to law enforcement officials; They can also choose not to participate in any legal process related to the accident.
“Any person who has saved the life of a victim of a fatal accident from a motor vehicle by providing immediate assistance and medical treatment in a hospital within golden hours of the accident, shall be eligible for the award. A person Good Samaritan can be awarded a maximum of five times in a year,” the ministry said. The Golden Hour is a crucial one-hour period from the accident.
To make this scheme popular, the states will have to give adequate publicity to it. This is for entering at the district level, where the local administration has to keep records of the good people and their details in a central website on a monthly basis.
A senior ministry official said, “The issue of the scheme is not money, but awareness among people that taking an accident victim to a hospital is encouraged to save a life.” “We are in talks with the states, but nothing has happened so far.”
Every year about 5 lakh road accidents occur in India and 1.5 lakh deaths occur from them. According to several government assessments and independent studies, a large number of deaths occur because victims do not receive medical help within the golden period.
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