Harman Singh praised for helping treat 6-year-old boy in serious car accident by cradling his head with turban

The young boy needed emergency surgery after the incident

Harman Singh, 22, was on the scene when Daejon Pahia, 6, was hit by a car. (Facebook )

A man in New Zealand has been hailed as a hero after he helped to treat an injured 6-year-old by taking off his turban and laying it beneath the child’s bleeding head.

Harman Singh, 22, was at home in Takanini, South Aukland, when he heard the screech of tyres at around 9am on Friday and rushed to see what had happened.

Outside, the business student found Daejon Pahia, 6, lying on the roadside, where he had been hit by a four-wheel-drive, he told the New Zealand Herald.

An image of Mr Singh at the scene shows him cradling the child’s head while a member of the emergency services tends to him.

“When I saw the little boy was bleeding I decided[...]I would take the turban off and use it. Anyone would have done the same,” he told the newspaper.

The boy was rushed to hospital where he received emergency surgery.

“He had multiple injuries but is in a stable condition and has a period of recovery in front of him,” a hospital spokeswoman said.

People on Twitter have praised Mr Singh for breaking what they described as a religious code to comfort the child.

However, others pointed out that while it is unusual for a Sikh man to remove his turban in public, Mr Singh's actions were not breaking strict religious protocols as caring for those in need is just as important, if not more, than how a person dresses.

Devpaal Singh, advisory board member at Multicultural NSW, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the student's gesture exemplified the three tenets of Sikhism: to earn an honest living, to share the proceeds with those less fortunate and to remember God.

“It's a very practical religion. The way I see it, religion doesn't really have a place if it's not for helping people,” he said.

“It is something to take off your turban in public. [But] aside from the embarrassment of the situation, obviously this man saw a need for it," he explained.