Odisha govt launches road safety initiative 'Rakshak'

The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents. Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people, staying or working at the eateries and different business establishments located near accident-prone spots. These 30,000 volunteers will be trained as First Responders to road accidents. They will be equipped to administer first aid and pre-hospital trauma care to accident victims within the golden hour.

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About the initiative:

The ‘Rakshak’ initiative was organised by the Commerce and Transport Department in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch.
As part of the initiative, the state government will train volunteers from roadside communities such as eateries, small repair shops, gas stations, and also police officers to be first responders to road accident victims.

The training programme for first responders will be conducted in two phases:

In the first phase, 300 master trainers will be trained by experts from the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) in ten locations: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Koraput, Phulbani, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Bhawanipatna.
In the second phase, the 300 master trainers will visit accident-prone areas in all districts and train locals to assist road accident victims. The first responders will also educate and inform the public about road safety precautions and the Good Samaritan law.

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