‘Mrityunjay Doot’ saves 1,634 lives in highway accidents in one year

Pune: For 44-year-old Ganesh Patil admitted to Chakan Rural Hospital for serious head injury three months ago, Suhas Gaikwad is his saviour. The Mrutunjay Doot member had rescued Patil from the badly damaged car after the road mishap.

Patil said, “The accident had left me unconscious, and I regained senses after three days and came to know that Gaikwad had rushed me to the hospital. I had fainted after my car was hit by a speeding truck on the Pune-Mumbai highway. My three family members and I were returning to Pune after attending a family function in Mumbai when the accident took place. It was Gaikwad and his friends who saved us.”

The Maharashtra State Highway Police have saved 1,634 lives in 1,918 accident cases through “Mrityunjay Doots” deployed across five of its ranges — Pune, Thane, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Raigad — by helping victims during the ‘golden hour’, the first hour after the mishap, between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023.

For Pune region, 1,004 “Mrityunjay Doots” are functional under the guidance of superintendent of police Lata Phad on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Old Pune-Mumbai Highway, Satara Road, Solapur Road and Ahmednagar Highway.

Devdoot Sanjeev Mehta from Aurangabad said, “I enrolled as a ‘Mrutunjay Doot’ volunteer after one of my close relatives passed away on the highway in Aurangabad for lack of timely help. I believe that we can make a difference and provide the necessary help to the state highway police department which is doing its best for the cause of citizens. To extend help on time and save lives gives me satisfaction and joy “

Launched in 2021, the highway police have roped in 3,605 villagers, staff and owners of highway eateries to be part of the network of “Mrutunjay Doots” (angels who win over death) who reach accident victims during the golden hour and rush them to hospitals.

It is proven medically that the first one hour (golden hour) after the accident is most critical and if medical help reaches within this period, most injured can be saved, a highway police official said.

According to the highway police authorities, as many do not come forward to help accident victims for fear of legal hassles, the volunteers are not included in the probe process. Authorities also extend support to these samaritans and felicitate them for going all out for the cause of saving human lives.

Ravindra Singhal, additional director general of police (ADGP), said, “The ‘Mrityunjay Doots’ are trained on safety and rescue operations by the police. The training standard operating procedures (SOP) entail how to rescue the trapped person from the accident vehicle, barricading the spot, give first aid, contacting the nearest hospital and police station. They have played a key role in saving lives of accident victims and helping the highway police.”

The Highway Traffic Police (HSP), set up with 23 traffic aid posts (TAPs), has expanded to 63 TAPs covering Maharashtra.

The initiative

Employees working in malls, petrol pumps, restaurants or hotels on national and state highways as well as a group of four to five persons from villages near the highway are identified and designated as Mrityunjay Devdoot. The volunteers are trained to provide first aid and handle the injured. Each group is provided with a first aid kit and stretcher. They can get information about the location of ambulances by dialling helpline 108. The volunteers are also given “Good Samaritan Award” by the ministry of road transport and highways.