In order to provide legal and medical support to women and child victims of various kinds of violence, the State Government would open a ‘One-Stop Centre’, SAKHI, at the Capital Hospital here on Thursday.
Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi would inaugurate the centre to be managed jointly by her department and the Commissionerate Police, official sources said.
The Centre has a medical ward with five beds, pantry, toilets, drinking water facility and counseling and examination rooms. CCTVs have also been installed.
“SAKHI would provide medical assistance and help victims lodge FIR with the police. It is directly linked with the Capital police station and the Women police station,” a W&CD official said, adding that the victims would be provided medicines, food and Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kit.
The Centre would handle various kinds of women and child violence, including domestic, sexual, acid attacks and dowry-related. It would emphasise on providing psychological support and counseling to the victims.
“SAKHI is designed in such a way that children and women victims could narrate their trauma in a stress-free environment, which could be followed by counseling, medical and legal assistance,” the official said.
People’s Forum, an NGO having Swadhar and Ujjawala Home, has been declared as service provider under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. Grievance redressal mechanism would be in place and necessary follow up action would be taken up by the service provider, added the official.
Awareness campaign, IEC activities, training and capacity building will be taken up by the NGO. Once this project gives satisfactory results, it would be replicated in other major hospitals, informed the official.