In its bid to add more facilities to one-stop centres (OSCs), especially created to cater only to the rape survivors in Government-run hospitals, the Delhi Government has taken a decision to allow corporate giants to fund setting of advanced facilities.
There will be 11 hospitals with OSCs, which will cater to 11 districts in the Capital. The State Health Department, in a notification, has allowed private companies to help and support OSCs as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The statement says that the companies may have a discussion with medical superintendents of the hospital.
“Some companies had directly approached us to fund in the health sector,” said
SB Shashank, Special Secretary, Health, adding that, it is a model how CSR can be included in the health sector and only eligible companies will be allowed to invest in health sector under Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014.
“Since OSC is a sensitive department, proper care should be provided to the rape victims. Therefore, we thought of strengthening and upgrading OSCs only,” Shashank said. He however, refused to reveal the names of the companies that have come forward to help OSCs as part of CSR.
“The companies will help support in improving and advancing the infrastructure of OSCs, enhancing the medical equipment and providing dedicated ambulance service with driver only for rape survivors,” said Shashank adding, “Many a time there is shortage of ambulance to take the survivors to hospitals. A dedicated ambulance only for rape survivors can help them in times of distress.”
“Corporate houses can also help provide more sanitation workers and peons for OSC,” said Shashank.
At present, State Government-run Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, lok Nayak Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital have OSCs. Central Government-run AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital and lady Hardinge Hospital too have OSCs. OSC is being included at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and civic run Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. Also, Rao Tula Ram Hospital will soon have an OSC.