The Bombay high court directed the state government on March 22 to set up trauma centres across the state for rape victims, but medical experts have stated that one-point crisis centres are reeling under manpower crunch and poor infrastructure, which is affecting victims.
In Mumbai, there are three such centres, which function at KEM, Nair and Sion Hospitals. They were established to ensure that rape victims are provided with better treatment, counselling and rehabilitation immediately after registration of an FIR.
The centre in Sion Hospital was constituted two years ago, and it was supposed to provide all facilities starting from medical examination to counselling under a single roof so that traumatised rape victims don’t have to move from one department to another. But till today, no such facilities are available in the centre, said doctors.
“When required, the patient is taken from the centre to the gynaecology department for surgery. There is an acute crunch in the number of staffers in the centre. We need technicians, record maintainers and nurses to handle victims,” said a doctor from the department.
Every month, all the three hospitals receive more than 500 cases of sexual violence and abuse. In fact, these three centres were supposed to be connected with the police and women’s helpline numbers to provide immediate assistance to women in need. But when The Asian Age visited these places, it was discovered that none have a direct link with any helpline.
According to the hospital authorities, lack of funds is the reason for the poor infrastructure and lack of staff. “We haven’t received the money granted by the government, which would help in proper functioning of the centres,” said an officer from KEM Hospital, seeking anonymity. Dr Indrajit Khandekar, associate professor, Forensic Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, last year submitted a report to the state stating that many a time, due to lack of forensic evidence, the culprit never gets arrested in a sexual violence case.
“In sexual violence cases, collection of forensic evidence plays a key role in investigating a case. This requires the help of th centres, which would help in collecting evidence without delays. This is one of the reasons the conviction rate in rape cases is so low,” he said.
