RAIPUR: Keeping the notion ‘Every life is precious’ in mind, the transport department in Chhattisgarh is building up the much-needed public realisation of how every effort really matters when an able helping hand is extended to the seriously injured in road accidents.
The department has put in place a unique scheme to recognise and reward ‘Good Samaritan’ who swung into action approaching a road accident scene during the ‘Golden Hour’--the first hour after the trauma and helped the victims without fear as a humanitarian act.
“The objective behind launching the singular scheme is to encourage ordinary citizens to become life-savers and reduce loss of lives by prompt action delivered during the vital ‘Golden Hour’ of the road accident”, said Dipanshu Kabra, Transport Commissioner.
Road accidents across the country are among the major causes of serious injuries leading to deaths.
The transport department has come out with the scheme with an intended objective to encourage the people for timely help during the emergency situation of road accidents to help the victims and keep his mental status normal. The ‘Good Samaritan’ will be rewarded with Rs 5000 per incident when they helped the accident victim in the first hour, cited as ‘Golden Hour’ after the trauma and saved the life.
“We have sent a proposal to the government to raise the reward money from Rs 5000 to Rs 10000,” Kabra told this newspaper.
The intended scheme is to make the common people realise how crucial remains the timely and proper first-aid or treatment provided during the Golden Hour— the duration which lasts one hour from the time when the victim after the trauma in a road accident, has a higher chance of survival.
The state government scheme further assures safeguard against legal complications to the helpful passer-by who helped the injured victim and averted fatality.
According to the Global Status Report on Road Safety, among the reasons for India figures among the leading countries in terms of road accident fatalities is the post-accident scenario where the requisite actions could have saved the life of the crash victims.
The name of individual as ‘Good Samaritan’ is cleared by the evaluation committee at the district level attended by the district magistrate, the police chief, chief medical and health officer and regional transport officer (RTO).