Kher submits a petition supporting Good Samaritan Law to Nadda

BJP MP Kirron Kher today stressed on the need for a Good Samaritan law in India, citing a study according to which 3 out of 4 persons in India are unlikely to step forward to help injured victims on the road.
Kher, who has introduced a bill in Parliament titled Good Samaritan (Protection from Civil and Criminal Liabilities) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2014, to protect good Samaritans from civil and criminal liabilities by establishing supportive legal environment, joined the SaveLife Foundation to deliver a petition to Union Health Minister J P Nadda on the issue.
"The idea is to encourage bystanders to come forward and help an injured on road. Also, the objective of the Bill is to ensure that ordinary people who help injured persons do not face harassment and intimidation," said Kher.

She said that rapid emergency care including assistance from bystanders can save over 70,000 lives every year.
"It is essential that a supportive legal environment is created for bystanders and passers-by to assist injured persons. A Good Samaritan Law is essential to create that environment," said Piyush Tewari, Founder of SaveLIFE Foundation.
SLF is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which is focused on improving road safety and emergency medical care across India.

According to a national study conducted by SLF in 2013, 3 out of 4 people in India are unlikely to step forward to help an injured person on the road.

Delhi residents are considered the most unlikely ones to step forward, according to the study.
The Bill looks at three important aspects of this issue -- the rights of a Good Samaritan who helps a victim in need of emergency care, the duties of a hospital with respect to provision of emergency care and first aid, and directions to law enforcement authorities with regard to questioning a Good Samaritan.
The Bill places safeguards in cases where the Good Samaritan agrees to help with the investigation of the case, all the while ensuring that the onus of evidence collection and investigation falls on the law enforcement agencies, and not on the Good Samaritan.

It also gives clear directions to hospitals to not demand payment of whole or part of treatment fees from the Good Samaritan, and not delay treatment for payment of hospital fees. A Good Samaritan Fund is proposed to process claims of hospitals in such cases.