The actor said, though the intent of public to help the accident victim is pure, it might cause more harm if care is not taken in the method of shifting them to the medical facilities
Published Jan 17, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 17, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Thala Ajith urges caution: Avoid shoving accident victims into autos, cars
Actor Ajith Kumar, popularly known as Thala in Tamil Cinema, an avid motorsport enthusiast, was recently involved in a high-speed car accident during a practice session for the Dubai 24H race. After winning third place in the race, he spoke about how essential it is for by-standers in any road accident case to approach accident situations with caution.
He said, though the intent of public to help the accident victim is pure, it might cause more harm if care is not taken in the method of shifting them to the medical facilities.
He said, “In a road accident, trying to be good samaritans in India, people put them in an auto and unfortunately if he/she has a spinal injury, by doing, so you maim him/her for life. This happened to a very close friend of mine who met with a car accident in Pune, and the locals around thought they were being very kind. He had a broken vertebra and this severed his spinal chord and poor guy, he is now confined to wheel chair for the rest of his life.”
Actor Ajith says there needs to be awareness on this. We need to tell people that “we don’t run up to an accident victim and just pick him up like a ragdoll and shove him into an auto or car, but wait for the medics to arrive, get the professionals.”
A video of this interview was shared on X by a handle MrUthaman. “No one is raising enough awareness of this. “If you see a road accident victim, do not lift or give them water. Call ambulance and wait for paramedics to come,” said the post.
No one is raising enough awareness of this.
“If you see a road accident victim, do not lift or give them water. Call ambulance and wait for paramedics to come.”#AjithKumarRacing pic.twitter.com/5SKOyLIGDv
— மிஸ்டர்.உத்தமன் (@MrUthaman) January 14, 2025
Doctors acknowledge that it’s a common situation where well-intentioned good Samaritans, eager to rush accident victims to nearby medical facilities, are often unaware of the precautions needed. Improper handling can worsen the injuries.
Doctors South First spoke to, advise against moving victims unless absolutely necessary, as untrained handling can lead to complications, especially in cases involving spinal injuries. If movement is required, doctors say that it’s recommended to wait for professional medical personnel who are trained in safe transportation techniques.
Doctors told South First that before rushing to help, people need to assess the scene for safety. They should first ensure that the area is safe for the person who is willing to help and also to the victim. (Eg. check for traffic movement, fire, or other such hazards). Next, the good samaritans must avoid moving the victim unless there’s an immediate danger, such as risk of fire or explosion.
Speaking to South First, Dr Sudhir Kumar, renowned neurologist from Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad says, “The most important point is to avoid moving the accident victim unless absolutely necessary. This is because, if the victim has suffered a spine injury, moving the person could lead to spinal cord compression, resulting in paralysis of hands and legs. Especially if the spine is unstable due to fracture of vertebrae,” he says.
He advices that caution should be taken while shifting the accident victim. He says, if there is a cervical (neck) collar, put it around the victim’s neck. Shift the patient to a stretcher, with minimal movements of the neck, and back, and then shift into an ambulance.
“If there are paramedics available at the accident scene, it is better that they shift the patient instead of people who are trying to help,” he adds.
Speaking about the commonly made mistakes by good samaritans while trying to help accident victims, Dr Kumar Muniramaswamy, orthopaedic doctor at Maharaja Agrasena Hospital in Bengaluru says: “Feeding water to injured. If patient is not conscious or semi conscious, people tend to forcefully make them drink water. This is not the right thing to do,” he says.
Explaining this further, Dr Sudhir says, people should avoid offering food or water to the accident victim. “This is because the person may aspirate the food/water, causing choking or respiratory infections. Other reason is that the victim may need surgery, in that case, fasting is preferred for administering general anaesthesia (only in cases that needs GA).”
Dr Muniswamy also says that if there is a spine fracture, then the patient should be carefully shifted with spine board support.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
