The Good Samaritan
You're driving down the high way and you notice that there’s a traffic jam up ahead. Looking more closely, you notice that a great number of people getting out of the cars and running towards something. Unable to tell what’s going on you inch closer and closer, until you see it too, a black SUV turned over on its side. The scene is absolute chaos as bystanders rush to aid of those trapped inside the mangled SUV. What do you do? Do you get out and help? Do you stay in your car? Do you call 911?
I believe at some point every person will be faced with a situation like this or something similar. A situation that forces you to accept or deny the role of the ‘The Good Samaritan’.
Believe it or not, doctors are notorious for not getting involved in medical emergencies that happened outside of work. This is because when a doctor announces himself at the scene of medical emergency he assumes total responsibility or authority of that scene. So by law, he can’t leave until the appropriate help has arrived, which usually means paramedics. He is also liable for anything that happens while he is in control. This means that if the kitchen chef decides to perform an emergency tracheotomy with a steak knife on one of his restaurants' patrons who’s choking because he saw it done on an episode of ‘The Good Doctor’, it’s the doctor who announced himself on scene responsibility to stop him. If he doesn't, he can be found guilty of negligence. If he or she assumes responsibility, he or she assumes liability. The two go hand and hand. Once the paramedics have arrived the doctor can still exert his authority, of course putting his license on the line, over the scene and continue to direct the emergency medical staff. But this is a rare occurrence because most doctors in those types of situations usually let go of the reigns once emergency personnel is on the scene.
What about the rest of us? What's the appropriate decision to make in a situation like the one I described above? What's the best course of action? Well, let’s take a few things into consideration. Are you one hundred percent sure that the scene is safe? Is there an active shooter on the scene? Is something on fire? Is there a possibility of something exploding? Is there a fight or dispute that could get violent? These are some of the questions you should ask your self when considering whether or not to get involved in an emergency incident. Once you're positive that scene is safe, ask your self what will I do to help? Will you call 911? Are trained in CPR? Are going to give emotional support on the scene to those involved in the incident? Whatever you are going to do to help, have a plan in mind before you get involved. This helps you to become part of the solution and not the problem.
Some people will choose not to get involved at all. Is this bad or immoral? Not necessarily and here’s why. Some people can not handle the emotional stress of emergency incident or don’t work well under pressure. So they avoid incidents like the one I described the first paragraph. They keep driving and may even have nightmares about it later on. Does this make them a bad person? I say no.
So when faced with the opportunity to play the role of the ‘Good Samaritan’ be at peace with whatever you decide. Whether you get involved or not, realize the responsibility ultimately falls on the professionals that we pay to handle emergency incidents. Yes, its true a lot more lives would be saved if more people were trained in basic first aid and CPR. It is also true that a buncha people at an incident scene who’s not part of the solution adds to the problem. So what I'm saying is if you don’t have a plan or idea of how you can help, don’t get involved. Also, be okay with not getting involved.
If truly want to make a difference go get some basic training. Take a basic first aid or CPR class. This will make you more confident during emergencies and you’ll better understand what role you can play to help.
(The photo at the title page was taken by me minutes after a major accident occurred. After helping four people trapped inside an SUV that had flipped on its side get out safely, making sure that they weren’t in any more danger, I grabbed my camera and caught this heartfelt moment of a Good Samaritan consoling this little girl who was in the SUV that flipped over. By this time the fire department and police were on scene.)