Around three quarters of people will be more likely to help those caught up in accidents and emergency situations once a new ‘Good Samaritan’ law is introduced in the UAE later this year, with one in six saying they would be interested in paying for training in first aid, according to the results of a new survey.
Data collected online by research company YouGov Omnibus, which included 1,011 respondents in the UAE and was carried out in early March, found that 86 percent of respondents said they would voluntarily undergo medical training after the law comes into effect in order to become better equipped to offer assistance in an emergency situation.
The UAE is soon set to become the first Arab country to pass a ‘Good Samaritan’ law, which allows bystanders to offer aid in medical emergencies without fear of legal consequences, YouGov reported.
According to a report by the Dubai-based Khaleej Times newspaper, a draft federal law is being prepared and is likely to be introduced this year.
“We are hoping this law will finally be in place this year,” Dr Saleh Fares, head of the Emirates Emergency Medicine Division at the Emirates Medical Association (EMA) was quoted as saying.
“Currently, around 70-90 percent of people hesitate in getting involved due to the fear of being caught up in medico-legal procedures,” Dr Fares added.
The YouGov survey found little knowledge of the existence of plans for the new paw, with 40 percent of respondents saying they knew nothing about it.
However, the new legislation is much needed as One in five of respondents said they believed they would be legally responsible if they tried to help an emergency victim and that person gets hurt or subsequently dies.
The research even found that four percent of respondents said they would think otherwise about helping someone in an emergency due to the potential legal implications.
Once the law has been implemented, the YouGov survey showed more residents said they would be willing to undergo basic medical training in order to be able to assist those in distress. One in six of those surveyed said they are willing to pay to get themselves trained in first aid or Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
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