Although the State Government has formulated a policy in 2018, acting on the direction of the Supreme Court for the protection of rescuers (Good Samaritans) pertaining to road accidents, yet in Baleswar district the outcome is dismal solely due to lack of awareness of such policy.
It may be noted Baleswar is in 7th place on the number of road accident cases in the State.
The guidelines of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have to be followed by hospitals, police and all other authorities for the protection of the Good Samaritans by maintaining perfect sync.
A Good Samaritan is one who makes a phone call to the police to give information about any accident injury or death. He shall be allowed to leave by the concerned police official(s) and no further questions shall be asked if he or she does not desire to be witness in the matter. The Good Samaritan after taking the road accident victim to the hospital may, if he or she so desires, leave his or her address with contact number, email address, if any, for the purpose of reward or trial in a standard format prescribed by the State Health and Family Welfare Department.
Disciplinary action shall be initiated by the Government against the concerned public officials who force or intimidate a Good Samaritan or a by-stander for revealing his or her name or personal details.
Further, the policy says , the Good Samaritan or the bystander shall be suitably rewarded or compensated to encourage other citizens to come forward and help the road accident victims by admitting them in hospitals.
Traffic officer-in-charge, Baleswar Prasant Ransingh said that in the district none has been given cash incentive so far ever since the policy was enacted in the State, solely due to lack of awareness and noncooperation of the hospitals.
“ The forms issued by the RTO are available in all hospitals, including PHCs and CHCs. The forms have to be filled in three copies ( carbon) by the attending doctor. One copy for office, another would be given to the individual who ferried the accident victim to the place and the last one would be sent to the RTO. The cash would be disbursed by the RTO to the individual ( Good Samaritan) after verification. As the hospitals are not following the SOP, the result is nil,” said Ransingh.
“ The hospitals would be asked through the CDMO to fill the forms and send to the RTO henceforth,” said Additional District Magistrate Sambit Nayak.
The figure shows there is a steady rise of road accidents in Baleswar. While in 2016, the figure of fatal cases was 198 including 119 in 2019, the figure shot up to 247 including 105 on NH and 76 on SH.
In 2017 and 2018, the numbers of road accident deaths in the district are 230 and 228 respectively, official sources said.