Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India]: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched a road safety initiative “Rakshak”, a first responder training programme under which 30,000 volunteers will be trained to act promptly in case of road accidents. Under the initiative, the State Transport department will impart the training to 30,000 volunteers through 300 expert trainers for 30 weeks in all 30 districts of the state, as first responders to road accidents. Addressing the gathering in Odisha, Patnaik said, “Road accidents are not just the loss of one person or one family. This is the loss of society. So we all need to work together to prevent road mishaps.” “So with a little help, a lot of lives can be saved and many families can be saved from misery,” he said. Patnaik further said that the first hour of the accident is the most important. “If accident victims get prompt medical care within the 48 hours of the accident, then we can save a lot of lives,” he added. He also stated that the State government has set up a fund of Rs 147 crore to treat the road accident victims and a provision has been made for rewarding Rs 2,000 to the people who rescue the road accident victims.
