It is unbelievable but it did happen the other day. On a very cold wintry night a young man got grievously injured in a road accident. He lay on the ground traumatised. Lot of blood was oozing out of his multiple injuries. Someone rang up the police flying squad which did come, not flying but virtually crawling.

“Yes, what’s the matter?’’ asked the dozy cop nonchalantly sitting in the front, his tone indicating that he had been disturbed.

“Sir, this person is seriously injured; he needs to be rushed to the hospital,’’ said someone from the small crowd that had gathered. With that, he, along with the help of another person started lifting the unconscious victim to put him inside the police jeep.

But the cop sitting in the rear seat screamed, “No. No. Don’t dump him here. He is smeared with blood that would in turn smear our seats’’. Shocked as they were, they pleaded that the victim would die if he did not get immediate medical aid. “You are meant for carrying such cases,’’ one said. But the policemen did not relent.

Somebody offered to wash the vehicle. Not yielding, the cops asked, “How will we sit in the washed vehicle in this harsh winter?” They then asked the crowd to take the injured to the hospital on their own, and moved away.

In Delhi, the police slogan is “For you, with you, always’’ which is printed on its fleet. And to a great extent, they do help. However, the picture is different elsewhere, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Unfortunately, the right missionary spirit and unflinching dedication are wanting. This is not making a general statement about the entire force but for most cops it is just a government job which earns them their daily bread.

By and large, one finds all pervading insensitivity among them which has its genesis in various valid factors like their arduous duties. However, one of the foremost factors is the large number of accidents taking place every day, obviously because of the ever-growing population. It is simple. Bigger the crowd, more the casualties. But that is a different issue altogether.

The problem under the glare is ‘insensitivity’, something that is not confined to our policemen only. I find that it has assumed much wider dimensions, gradually touching all sections of society. More and more people are betraying reluctance in helping out the needy.

Reasons are many like the ever accelerating pace of life and paucity of time. But above everything else it is the hassle of being summoned by the police and sometimes to the court as the price of helping someone in distress. Once your name figures anywhere in the case even for good reasons, you have to be present at the stipulated time, date and place even if you are thousands of miles away. You have to burn your own money on travel and somehow manage time however busy your schedule might be.

Absenteeism can cause all kinds of problems. Certainly, nobody would like his neighbours to see a cop knocking at your door even if he comes to deliver some invitation card or for any other good and valid reason.

In the present dispensation in India, nobody knows for how many months and years (yes, you heard me right — years) you may be required to visit a court or a police station, as I said earlier, paying the price for being a Good Samaritan.

So, why help anyone at all and invite trouble? That is the feeling that comes to your mind when you see a person in acute distress, even dying, needing prompt medical attention.

Only a few days back, two young men came to the aid of an accident victim and called the police in Maharashtra. While taking him to the hospital the cops insisted that the two accompany them to the police station, to complete the formalities.

The young men refused. The cops tried to assert their authority but the two stood their guard. They reminded them of the Supreme Court’s clear directions that the persons taking an injured person to the hospital could not be forced to stay on or questioned. When asked, the two refused to give their names.

A Good Samaritan’s dilemma does not stop here. When he takes a victim to a hospital’s ‘Emergency’ the doctors, in most cases, wait for the police before starting treatment of a medico-legal case, however grave it might be.

In ill-equipped hospitals, the stranger is often asked to bring supporting medical material at his expense for the unidentified patient!

As of today, that’s our medical system in most parts of the country. I think self-criticism is no offence. I am highlighting some of the many deficiencies in the pious hope that someday we may be able to ensure proper medicare for the millions of our deprived and less privileged sick humanity.

Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.