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Bill to protect Good Samaritans helping accident victims

Last Updated 09 November 2016, 19:46 IST

The state government is working towards incentivising bystanders /onlookers of an accident, in a bid to motivate them to rescue accident victims during the golden hour.

Not only will such ‘Good Samaritans’ be protected from civil and criminal liabilities, it has also been proposed to award them with a compensation amount of Rs 1,500.

Rescuers who ensure immediate medical treatment to the victims also stand the chance of bagging the ‘Good Samaritan’ recognition by the government.

Often, bystanders of accidents hesitate to help the victim(s) fearing entanglement in police investigation and the rigours of the legal procedures, leading to the death of more than 50% of such accident victims.

Medico-legal cases
Following a Supreme Court directive and in a bid to encourage onlookers to lend a helping hand, the government has drafted a Bill - The Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency situations) Bill, 2016.

The same was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said that the Bill would be tabled in the upcoming winter session in Belagavi. The minister said that the Bill, once enacted, will not only protect Good Samaritans, it will also protect medical professionals/hospitals from getting embroiled in medico-legal cases.

Under the proposed law, it will be mandatory for all government and private hospitals to give first aid to the victims. Severe action will be taken against doctors/hospitals who refuse to give treatment.

The Bill highlights that Good Samaritans will be exempted from repeated attendance in courts/police stations. In case, they are made to run around to courts, the expenses of such persons will be met through the proposed ‘Good Samaritan Fund’.

A corpus fund of Rs 5 crore will be created under the Health and Family Welfare department for disbursing the compensation amount.

Rs 1,500 compensation
According to officials, hospitals will be required to immediately compensate the Good Samaritan with Rs 1,500 in cash. On admitting the victim to the nearest hospital, they will not be required to furnish his/her personal information (name, telephone number and address), even while filing the medico legal form. Once the victim is admitted, the Good Samaritan can leave immediately, as they will not be subjected to police examination.

Rights of the Good Samaritans will have to be mandatorily displayed at the hospitals in prominent places in Kannada, Hindi and English.

A committee will select a few Good Samaritans, who will be felicitated at the district-level during Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations.
DH News Service

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(Published 09 November 2016, 19:44 IST)

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