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The Delhi government will soon give a reward of Rs. 2,000 to auto rickshaw drivers who help road accident and trauma victims by taking them to the hospital. Additionally, auto drivers will also get life-support training and they will be asked to carry first aid kits with them. According to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, this step is being taken because auto rickshaws are likely to reach accident victims before an ambulance. He added than an auto-rickshaw is the fastest to reach victims after a police control room van.

This decision has come after the Supreme Court approved guidelines to protect Good Samaritans who help road accident victims, so they don’t have to worry about any hassles before helping a person in need.

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“The truth is that in Delhi, ambulances do not reach the victims in time. If we follow protocols and wait for ambulances, we will not be able to save lives. We are giving this economic incentive to Good Samaritans because they lose time from work. In most cases, their clothes are bloodied and we do not want them to suffer because of helping accident victims. We cannot put a price tag on a life saved. This is just a token, and it is optional — it will be up to the people to take this money,” Satyendra Jain told The Hindu.

The government will soon issue a notice in this regard. According to Health Secretary Tarun Seem, the details for the notification are being worked out. The government wants to give options to auto drivers. They can get vouchers for fuel, cash or mobile payments if they want.

Promotion

According to reports, nearly half the number of deaths on Indian roads can be prevented if the victims are brought to hospitals within the first hour of the accident.

Also, as per National Crime Records Bureau, 1.41 lakh deaths occurred because of road accidents in India in 2014.

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