Udupi: People usually refrain from taking an injured person to the hospital after a road accident due to the fear of being harassed by the police. However, a group of youngsters, with the help of the district police have made a short film to encourage people to provide timely help to road accident victims. The film has been made to educate people on how important the first 30 minutes for an accident victim are.
The film is titled ‘Manaviyate’, and has been scripted and directed by Surendra Marpalli, who has also acted in it. Speaking to Mangalorean.com, Surendra Marpalli said that usually when we witness a road accident and the victim is seen lying in a pool of blood, we refrain from helping him/her. People do not help as they think they might get into legal trouble and the police will ask them various questions. For every accident victim, the first 30 minutes or hour is important to save his/her life. The story of the film will focus on people’s obsession with mobile phones. Even when there are road accidents, people forgot to be humane and help the injured. Instead, they remain busy clicking photographs of the accident and upload them on social media.
Udupi district Superintendent of Police, K Annamalai released the short film ‘Manaviyate’ at the Press Club Udupi here, on Friday, September 18.
Speaking on the occasion, SP Annamalai said that a person should always come forward to help an accident victim and the Supreme Court too has issued guidelines to ensure help to the persons who bring accident victims to hospitals. Most accident victims can be saved if they get at least primary medical attention and are shifted to professional medicare during the golden hour. It is our moral and social responsibility to attend to victims in road accidents. We have to change our mindset and help the victims. The guidelines say that a bystander or good Samaritan, including eyewitness of a road accident may take the injured to the nearest hospital and he or she shall be allowed to leave immediately. In 2014-15, 232 persons were killed in road accidents. People refrained from helping accident victims, fearing police harassment. This often delayed the transfer of victims to the hospital, resulting in wastage of crucial time when they require immediate healthcare. No questions will be posed by the police to people who rescue and admit road accident victims to hospitals, he added.
Soori Shetty – a person known for helping the injured in road accidents in Kaup area, Sri Laxmivaratheertha Swamiji of Shiroor Math, and SP Annamalai have also given their message in the film on how to help victims during road accidents.
The Cinematography was done by Surendra Paniyur, and the screenplay was done by Brijesh. Pradeep Shetty Kukkikatte, Sujith, Uday Kulal, Hithesh Bannanje, Sandeep Kundar, Sudhir Shet and others have acted in the film.
Entrepreneur Suresh Shetty Gurme, Advocate Sunil S Moolya, Soori Shetty and Sruendra Marpalli were also present during the press meet.
