In a significant step to protect Good Samaritans from harassment, the Centre has notified rules on the rights of Good Samaritans. Those helping save the lives of road accident victims on the spot will not be entangled in complicated legal procedures either at the hospital or later through law enforcement agencies.
While notifying the rules on the rights of Good Samaritans and how they should be treated, the Centre has stated that they will be allowed, by law, to leave the scene without even disclosing their identity immediately after helping the accident victims. Moreover, they will not be forced to disclose their name, address, and identity if they do not want to.
Irrespective or without discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality, caste, or sex, the Good Samaritans will have the right to be treated respectfully. The hospitals will have to put up boards to display these rights as well.
As per the new rules, if a Good Samaritan has agreed to help the police in an accident case, his statement should be taken at his home or office at a time convenient to him, if he desires so. The police will also not be able to force a Good Samaritan to be a witness in a case if he does not want to be. He will be able to leave immediately, without any questions asked.
The Good Samaritan will also not be able to be forced by the police or the hospital official present in the hospital for medico-legal cases to fill up forms of admission, nor can he be asked to go through other formalities of admission.
The Centre's guidelines on the Good Samaritan law was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016. It was also stated by the World Health Organisation that the bystanders protected by such law will proactively help accident victims.
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