Offering help during medical emergencies

Medical emergencies take place every day thanks to road or railway accidents, burns, sports injuries and so on. While India is still working towards building a well-equipped, easily accessible and affordable healthcare network of services, most of these emergency cases result in deaths due to lack of immediate medical attention. Administering even the most basic first aid care can go a long way in saving a life.

Accidents top the list of emergencies in India, claiming two lakh lives each year, according to the Global Road Safety Report-2015 by the World Health Organisation. Statistics state that more than 380 people die on India’s roads daily, the main causes being drunk driving and speeding.

While it is understandable to feel afraid and experience panic while witnessing such a situation, even as a bystander, people are reluctant to come to the aid of these accident victims.

A national survey by the Save Life Foundation found that 74% of bystanders are unlikely to help victims of a serious injury. This is largely because they do not want to get involved or are simply unaware about the proper procedures in helping trauma victims.

• Firstly, people need to be aware of the emergency numbers across the country including: All India Railway Helpline number: 1512, Police Control Room (All over India): 100, Women's Helpline (All Over in India): 181, Medical Helpline (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh): 108, Ambulance helpline (All over India): 102 and so on.

• At an accident site, the first thing to do is to check for injuries on the victim. Treat the quietest victims first as they are usually the most injured or are unable to breathe. In case he appears unconscious, place him on his back and avoid crowding the victim.

If the victim is not breathing, open his mouth to ensure that there are no food particles or blood inside. If there is, then use your index and middle finger to clear the airway or take a cloth and clean it. If he remains unconscious, administer mouth to mouth resuscitation.

• In case of visible bleeding, cover the bleeding area and press down with your palms till help arrives.

• Do not force the victim to sit up or drink water. In the case of physical deformities or fractures, it is best advisable to keep the movements to a minimum and use ice packs for the swelling. If the victim’s neck is in an awkward position, refrain from moving him as it could be a spinal injury which might worsen due to incorrect movements.

• If the patient vomits blood or bleeds from the mouth, turn him to his side in order to avoid choking.

• Accident victims usually feel excessively cold and it is important to keep them warm with a blanket, jacket or a shirt.

Reluctance to help

Another reason that keeps people from coming forward to provide aid in medical emergencies is the fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury or wrongful death. This reluctance to help stemmed from a fear of being dragged into protracted police investigations and legal proceedings.

However, a petition filed by the Save Life Foundation in the Supreme Court in 2012 resulted in the ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ The SC approved the guidelines of the Good Samaritan Law on March 30, 2016.

The Good Samaritan Law states that besides being treated with respect and without any discrimination, the bystander should be allowed to leave immediately after taking an accident victim to a hospital without having to answer any questions.

Only eyewitnesses can be asked for their addresses before they leave. Neither the police nor emergency services can compel a bystander to reveal his name or personal details; neither will he be liable for any civil or criminal liability.

The guidelines further state that those who voluntarily disclose that they are eyewitnesses to accidents, should not be subject to harassment or inconvenience while taking part in legal proceedings.

They will be examined on a single occasion to prevent them from repeatedly having to appear in court. The Road Transport Ministry has asked state governments to incentivise Good Samaritans.

Without doubt, India still has a long way to go in terms of emergency medical servi-ces. However, we can ensure progress in this regard by reaching out to accident and trauma victims and help save lives within our capacity.

(The writer is CEO, Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd)