Bengaluru: The State government's ‘Mukyamantri Santwana-Harish Yojane’ launched with much fanfare to render immediate help road accident victims, seems to have no effect among the public, if the two recent deaths due to road accidents are any indication.
The ‘Harish Yojane’ was launched in May last year, after a youth named Harish whose body got dismembered in road accident, but did not get timely medical aid despite him begging the passersby. They were busy taking photos and videos rather than helping him.
Goes viral
The incident went viral in social media and the then Health and Family Welfare Minister, U.T. Khader, launched this scheme to extend immediate medical help. .
However, people continue to be apathetic in helping accident victims. On Wednesday, a teenage boy was knocked down by a KSRTC bus in Koppal and as he lay profusely bleeding and begging for help, nobody came to his rescue. In this case too, people took the videos to be uploaded in social media.
Last week, two policemen who were going in a jeep on a special duty at Suttur Jathra, met with an accident, after their vehicle collided with a KSRTC bus.
While the jeep driver died on the spot, the police inspector was severely injured and got trapped in the mangled remains of the jeep.
He pleaded with the onlookers for help, but in vain. In this case too people were busy in taking videos.
Both the boy and the police inspector could have survived had they got timely medical treatment.
Shock
Expressing shock over these incidents, Health and Family Welfare Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar bemoaned that society has become 'insensitive' to road accident victims.
The government had promptly implemented the 'Harish Yojane' to ensure that what happened to Harish should not happen to others.
He clarified that police would not summon those who help victims as their identity would be kept secret.
“What we are asking the people to inform the police as early as possible or to shift the victims to nearest hospitals. The government can only enact laws, but ultimately it is for the people to help their fellow-citizens.”
