HIMANSHU GURU, OP
Members of Joy Jagannath Accident Help Unit are volunteers in the true sense, ever willing to come to the aid of accident victims who lie unattended in a pool of blood on busy thoroughfares…
Road accidents in India are disturbingly frequent and the tragic fate that befalls the family of an accident victim is simply indescribable. One unfortunate fact is that, though people who congregate on an accident spot are eager to help the victim, they often choose to be mere spectators, seized with the fear that they might get entangled in legal hassles. Joy Jagannath Accident Help Unit, however, has a different vision. To come to the aid of accident victims, some like-minded people started a social organisation which has so far rescued about 200 accident victims. Sunday POST spoke to the volunteers of the group about their passionate rescue operations.
Joy Jagannath Accident Help Unit has a small office at Ganganagar chowk in Bhubaneswar. However, the members can be frequently contacted in their helpline number anytime round the clock for help. The unit started functioning in January 2013 and since then the dedicated members are providing help to the victims. Besides, the unit also organises awareness progrmmes about road safety.
Rankanidhi Samal, secretary, settler and the main organisor of the group, is always ready to help the victims. Even his son, Trilochan Samal, aged 23, has helped many victims. Rankanidhi said: “Road accidents are steadily rising and nobody comes to the help of the victim, mainly due to fear of getting entangled in a police case. Often people rescue and put the victim in an auto rickshaw but since nobody wants to accompany the victim, the auto driver refuses to carry the victim. Also, if the 108 ambulance arrives on the spot, it requires someone to accompany the victim. With this bleak situation in view, I talked to my like-minded friends and initially seven of us came forward to undertake the task of coming to the aid of accident victims. However, our effort went in vain. Recently, we got a letter from the top authorities of the police department by dint of which we are in a position to help accident victims. Many doctors and hospital staff know our members and help us carry out our responsibilities.”
Asked about the different functions of the group, the secretary said: “We have issued an identity card to each of the members. Besides, they always carry a first aid box which contains a bottle of Betadine liquid, ointment, bandage cloth and cotton. When we get information about an accident we send a member who is at that time close to the spot. They provide first aid service and make arrangements to send the victims to hospitals. They accompany the patients and consult the doctors about treatment. Once family members of victims arrive, our work ends. We prefer to send victims to the nearest government hospital and, in case there is a problem, we admit them to private hospitals and ask the authorities to offer a discount.”
Asked about his first rescue effort, Samal said: “An accident took place at Tomando chowk where a four-wheeler crushed a motorbike and fled from the scene. The bike rider and the pillion rider were severely hurt. We managed to get them to the hospital and personally spoke to the doctor.”
“We have volunteers in Sambalpur, Rayagada, Gunupur, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Khurdha, Sunakhala and Puri, apart from Bhubaneswar. I request people from other places to join us in this noble venture so that we can help accident victims. I can can personally assure that no volunteer would get entangled in a police case,” he added.
Another member of the group Manoranjan Ray, a businessman based at Laxmisagar in Bhubaneswar, said: “Last year when I was returning on my bike from Tangi I witnessed an accident between Chhatia and Tangi. Two women were severely hurt. I tried to book an auto rickshaw but the 108 ambulance arrived earlier. I went to SCB and got the victims admitted. We also served in the SUM hospital fire tragedy and during the train accident last year in Cuttack.”
Moina Acharya owns a restaurant in Gunpur. She intimated that she spends half the week looking after her business and the rest is devoted to social work. “I came to know about the group at Patha Utsav. So far I have attended three awareness programmes organised by the group in Puri, Bhadrak and Bhubaneswar on road safety.”
“An accident took place at Balaramnagar in Gunpur. I was on the spot and immediately took the victim to Gunpur hospital. Since his condition was severe he later was shifted to Nabarangpur hospital. Fortunately, he survived,” Moina said.
Saroj Kumar Sahoo, a Bhubaneswar-based businessman, said: “Motorbike rider Harihara Sahu met with an accident at Buddhipada bazaar chowk under Balipatna police limits. Along with another member, I rescued him and brought to Vivekananda hospital in Bhubaneswar. Since his family members wanted to admit in that hospital we did not insist on a government hospital. The patient later succumbed to his
injuries.”
Helpline number: 9438375512