To help victims of sexual harassment, a Nirbhaya centre has been opened at Parel-based KEM Hospital this week. According to the hospital authorities, they will soon be opening such centres in other civic-run hospitals too.
While the public hospitals in the city see many sexual harassment cases every month, a centre to evaluate these cases under one roof is important.
Speaking about sexual harassment cases that get registered with civic-run hospitals, Dr Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital and director of civic-run hospitals across the city, said, "Footfall of sexual harassment cases is majorly seen in the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion. While Sion Hospital sees around 50 cases per month, the KEM Hospital gets around 10 to 12 cases per month."
While the KEM Hospital already had a small centre for these cases, they have now set up a Nirbhaya centre where all doctors related to the investigation of a case will come together to evaluate the case under one roof.
Dr Shubhangi Parkar, head of the psychiatric department in KEM Hospital, said, "We firstly need to stabilise the victim mentally so that she can cooporate for further evaluation and investigation. Few of the victims are expressive and can say how they feel; they may shout, throw objects while others undergo mental depression. Stabilising their mental condition as well as providing them with counselling and recovery therapy is important."
She added, "Most cases involve young women aged between 24 to 35 years of age."
In December 2017, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that the state will be setting up a Nirbhaya centre at the KEM Hospital within three months. The objective of the centre is to not make the victims related to rape, molestation, domestic abuse and their relatives run from one hospital to another regarding medical evaluation.
"Sion Hospital will also have a centre specific for sexual harassment cases," said Dr Supe.