Doctors expected to give first aid to injured on spot: Court

Medical professionals should provide prompt first aid to injured road mishap victims even if they did not cause the accident, a Delhi court has said.

Medical professionals should provide prompt first aid to injured road mishap victims even if they did not cause the accident, a Delhi court has said.

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Dismissing the appeal of a doctor to set aside his conviction for injuring a woman while driving in a service lane at Lado Sarai in South Delhi three years ago, additional sessions judge Rajeev Bansal said, "There is nothing on record that the appellant (doctor) gave any first aid to the injured when the woman was hit by his car."

The prosecution said Dr Mahesh Chandra was rashly driving and coming from the wrong side near a Mother Dairy booth and hit Maya Devi causing injuries to her on October 26, 2008. She was taken to a hospital where she got stitches on her head and was treated for other injuries.

"Even if Chandra was not involved in the accident, being a medical professional, he was duty bound to at least give first aid to the injured and this duty became all the more onerous since the appellant, who happened to be a doctor, was accused of the accident," the judge said, upholding Chandra's conviction and Rs 500 fine imposed on him.

The court refused to quash his conviction and said only a fine of Rs 500 was imposed which was just a "flea bite".

"The sentence imposed by the trial court is nothing more than 'flea bite' in itself as only a sentence of Rs 500 fine was imposed. Any laxity shown to careless drivers by imposing 'flea bite' sentences would tend to make them lesser responsible towards the public at large," the judge said.

Chandra should have been extremely cautious while driving in a service lane, the judge said.