This was the scene in an
accident and emergency department in a
tertiary hospital of New Delhi the
patient had sustained poly-
trauma in a high-speed road
traffic accident, but lay unattended, on the road, because the
police had not arrived, and bystanders did not attempt to help the victim for
fear of legal consequences. After the arrival of the
police, the
patient was transported to the
hospital. However, without primary medical
treatment and without
knowledge of the status of his
cervical spine, he was repeatedly pulled up and down by laymen.