Good Samaritans who rescue victims of serious road accidents and rush them to a hospital within the golden hour will now be rewarded with ₹5,000. They will also be eligible for a cash prize of ₹1 lakh which will be given to 10 such Samaritans in a year.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways wrote to all States and Union Territories on Monday informing them of the new scheme, which comes into effect from October 15, 2021 till March 31, 2026.
Need to motivate general public
“It has been felt that there is a need to motivate the general public through cash awards and certificates to help the road accident victims in emergency situation and to boost their morale, and also to inspire and motivate others to save the lives of the victims,” according to the letter dated October 3, 2021.
The categories of accidents that will make one eligible for the award will include those that result in a major surgery or minimum three days of hospitalisation or brain and spinal cord injuries.
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care’.
The award will be ₹5,000 per victim saved and if more than one bystander is involved then the prize will be divided equally among them. Every cash award will be accompanied with a certificate of appreciation. An individual can be awarded a maximum of five times in a year.
Initial grant
The Centre will provide ₹5 lakh as initial grant to the Transport Departments for the scheme.
The guidelines also lay down the procedure to be followed for authenticating beneficiaries. The local police will take details from the doctor and provide an acknowledgment to the bystander who helped. A copy of this will then be sent by the police to an appraisal committee formed at the district level under the chairmanship of a district Magistrate, which will approve the proposals on a monthly basis.
