Good Samaritans ‘pay’ for noble deeds on road

Kozhikode: People are still afraid of legal implications while helping road accident victims, delaying treatment and leading to deaths, say health activists and police.

Kozhikode district is witnessing an increase in the number of accidents as well as deaths by the day.

According to the District Crime Records' Bureau, during the last four months, it witnessed 515 road accidents and 61 deaths.

Often the victims are taken to hospital by auto drivers. Subsequently, they will face court proceedings.

A.K Sajeev Kumar, an auto driver with more than two decades of experience, had to frequent courts to depose as a witness at the cost of his income for trying to save a life. Two years ago, he witnessed an accident during a ride through the city and took the victim to a hospital.  He became the sole witness in the case and is frequenting courts as it stuck in some legal disputes.

"I am making a living out of driving my autorickshaw," he says. "How can I live when I had to present in the court all the time?". P.P. Ummer, an autorickshaw trade union leader, agrees.

"When the drivers are becoming part of accident cases, some tend to withdraw fearing legal complexities," he said.

Meanwhile, the public awareness campaign of the police continues insisting no legal formalities for the Good Samaritans.

K. Vinod Kumar, the circle inspector of police (traffic) enforcement, said they would look into their grievances.  "Police should not trouble drivers," he said.

Dr P.P. Venugopal, the founder of Angels International group of lifesavers, says the victims are getting proper treatment at the right time in most of the cases.

"But in cases where the undue delay has occurred it will lead to death," said Dr Venugopal, who heads the emergency medicine at the MIMS Hospital here.