Engines running full throttle, manoeuvring through City roads at top speed, chasing vehicles on highways till the police take over, along with ensuring he reaches the hospital on time... Ashwin has his hands full when it comes to rescuing accident victims. And this he has been doing day after day for over a year now and has to his credit an average of 350-400 accident calls he has attended to till date.

The change

Often, a crucial incident brings about the moment of truth that causes an individual to change his/ her course of life. Akin to that, it took Ashwin Philip a rather horrifying road accident, that he witnessed over a year ago, to change his life forever. Since then, this car racer by passion vowed to dedicate his need for speed to a larger-than-life purpose and claims that it has given him a new lease of life. “It is extremely gratifying to live each day knowing that I could make a difference in somebody’s life. This is my purpose in life,” says Ashwin, a BPO employee by the day. Spanning the entire City is a herculean task for this one-man army, which is why Ashwin covers a radius of 15 kilometres around K R Puram where he resides. This more or less takes care of a good number of areas in Bangalore especially the accident-prone K R Puram, ring roads and major highways. So what does he do? “The moment I get word of an accident, I rush to the spot in my car, picking up a police personnel on the way. We rescue the victim and priority is obviously to get the person to the hospital immediately. The policeman with me helps with the legal formalities at the hospital and we ensure that the accident victim is attended to,” explains Ashwin, who on many occasions has had to pay up for the initial treatment from his own pocket. 

But that’s not the only agenda on his ‘task force’ that he calls ‘Delta 24/7’ which works from 8 pm to 6 am everyday. There have been times when he has chased the vehicle (usually a four-wheeler or six-wheeler) that has caused the accident, ensuring they don’t get away with the crime. “This is only till the police get there. I believe that instead of playing the blame game of who’s responsible, it’s important that the civil society lend the law enforcement a helping hand. This way, we can collectively work towards a safer City,” he says.

And he works in tandem not just with the K R Puram police but also a few hospitals. “The police are very cooperative when it comes to helping accident victims, it’s just that they lack the basic facilities. The hospitals, more often than not, know about Delta 24/7 which helps during an emergency. Moreover, it’s faster than calling for an ambulance (laughs).”

It is Ashwin’s desire to convert his 10-hour duty into a truly 24/7 task force and in this regard, his first step is to convert it into a registered trust, which he will be doing shortly. But raising the money to sustain this noble task is a hurdle he faces. “Which is why I need to retain my job. More like-minded people will be helpful but I make it clear that the focus should be entirely on service, instead of getting carried away by the appreciation it brings,” he shares.

Ashwin also organises campaigns for slum children on a regular basis which include medical check-ups, distribution of medicines and clothes along with awareness programmes. If anyone wishes to assist Ashwin call him on 98446-77204 or email him at delta24_7@yahoo.com