Delhi CM Kejriwal launches new scheme to honour good samaritans

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a scheme to honour good samaritans who take accident victims to a hospital and said at least 3,000 lives were saved during the pilot project of the initiative which ran for 18 months.

"The chances of survival increase by 70-80% if an accident victim is taken to the hospital within one hour of his accident, which is the 'Golden Hour'," Kejriwal said while rolling out the 'Farishtey Dilli Ke'. Under the scheme, the city government will incur the treatment expenditure of eligible road accident victims and give incentives to those who helped them.

Kejriwal honours 'Farishteys'

He also honoured some of the 'farishteys' who rushed injured people to hospital and saved their lives during the pilot period. NDMC employee Jitender Kumar was one such good samaritan. In May last year, Kumar witnessed an accident victim lying on the road and rushed him to a hospital even as some of the onlookers recorded videos of the victim.

"My clothes were soiled but I did not bother. People were making videos of the person who was writhing in pain and was severely injured. No one came forward to help. I rushed him to the nearest hospital and he survived," Kumar said. A Delhi High Court lawyer, Haider Ali, also turned good samaritan for Aman, whose wife was crying for help when their scooter was hit by a motorcycle near the Karkardooma Court last year. 

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"She had been screaming for help for 10-15 minutes but nobody came forward. I took him to the hospital where he received the treatment I have been in touch with him since then," he said. Kejriwal said the Good Samaritan scheme had been initiated in 2017 on a pilot basis. 

"We launched this scheme on a pilot basis one-and-a-half years ago to figure out and eradicate the complications during the whole process before a formal inauguration and implementation of the scheme. More than 3,000 lives have been saved through this initiative," he said. Kejriwal said every life is precious and the government will do everything and spend whatever it can to save every life. 

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"I am delighted to formally inaugurate the 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' scheme, and I hope that every Delhiite can be a Farishta one day," he said.  Kejriwal also spoke about how onlookers are worried about various liabilities that come their way if they take the accident victims to the hospital. 

"Earlier, people had inhibitions about taking accident victims to the hospital. On one hand, many hospitals would refuse to provide immediate treatment to the victim causing unease to the samaritan and on the other hand, the police would frame the samaritan for the accident under false charges." 

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Kejriwal also lauded the Delhi Police for supporting this scheme. He said the 3,000 whose lives were saved are proof that the police are supporting the scheme. 

"We still remember how Nirbhaya lost her life. She was on the road for several hours before the police carried her to the hospital. This scheme stresses the fact that timely aid from the passersby can help save an accident victims' life. I want to thank all those Farishteys who saved the lives of these 3,000 people," he said.  Health Minister Satyendar Jain said it is important to create awareness about the scheme and asked people to promote it on Facebook.

"Awareness about the scheme is most important things, and I appeal to all of you to share information regarding 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' with all your peers so that everybody knows about it," he said.

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