Move aimed at encouraging people to help road accident victims
Bhopal: The city police have issued detailed guidelines for private and government hospitals regarding bystanders or Good Samaritans, who help road accident victims by taking them to a hospital. The police have warned that strict action would be taken against the hospitals which do not adhere to the guidelines, which have been issued pursuant to a notification of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The guidelines, among other things say that any person may take an injured person to the nearest hospital, and that person should be allowed to leave immediately and no question shall be asked to them. They shall not be liable for any civil and criminal liability. A Good Samaritan, who makes a phone call to inform the police or emergency services about a person lying injured on the road, shall not be compelled to reveal his name and personal details. Such disclosure will be voluntary and optional, including in Medico Legal Cases (MLC).
In case a Good Samaritan, who has voluntarily stated that he is also an eye-witness to the accident and is required to be examined for the purposes of investigation by the police, he shall be examined on a single occasion using video conferencing as far as possible.