Mumbai: Cama and Albless Hospital to get first one-stop crisis centre for women

Mumbai: Dedicated to addressing the issue of violence against women, the Maharashtra government has decided to open Mumbai's first One-stop Centre (OSC) inside a women’s hospital at Cama and Albless Hospital under the Centre’s Nirbhaya Fund.  

One stop centre is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) for addressing the problem of violence against women. It is a sub-scheme of the umbrella scheme for the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, including the Indira Gandhi Mattritav Sahyaog Yojana.

It is reported to be established across the country to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces. One Stop Centre (OSC) at the district level maintains the record of complaints received from women affected by violence. 

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As per the guidelines, OSCs are required to have the facility for a temporary stay of up to 5 days with five beds. To address the complaints of aggrieved women, One Stop Centre schemes to provide a range of violence services to affected women, including police facilitation, legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, medical aid and temporary shelter in an integrated manner under one roof.

Although these centres are available in some government hospitals, the survivors often avoid going into crowded hospitals to seek help due to the stigma in society. The district-wise data on the performance of the centres showed that OSCs in rural areas were performing better than the ones in cities. OSCs that are located inside women’s shelters or women’s hospitals (like Amravati), more women approached the centres for help. Therefore, the decision to establish these centres in a women's hospital has been taken into consideration which will provide them with a secure place to express their problems. 

The centre will be established on the ground floor of the Cama hospital with 5 beds. The construction in this regard has already begun and the centre is expected to start in the next six months. It will be run in association with an NGO that will appoint qualified counsellors and lawyers to assist the survivors in distress.

Talking about this, superintendent Dr Tushar Palve informed The Indian Express, "When a woman is subjected to abuse, she is traumatised. In such a situation, she feels more secure in less crowded areas, amid other women. This is why Cama Hospital, which is dedicated only to women's care, has been selected. It will be the first such centre in Mumbai to be started in a women’s hospital."

Under the scheme, OSCs are required to have a centre administrator, case workers, medical personnel, police facilitation officer, psycho-social counsellor, legal counsellor, security guard, IT staff and multi-purpose workers. Capacity building of OSC functionaries is undertaken through National, Regional and State training and workshops to improve the responsiveness of OSC staff. OSCs are also integrated with the Women Helpline to improve the functioning and responsiveness of OSC staff.

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