Bhubaneswar: In a bid to facilitate timely assistance to women in distress, the state government has decided to set up One Stop Centres (OSCs) in five more locations in the state.
The One Stop Centres will be opened at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, Sambalpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Rourkela Government Hospital and Koraput DHH, sources said Sunday. At present only one such centre is functioning at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
The Women and Child Development department has sought expression of interest (EOI) from NGOs and agencies to run the five centres, to be called ‘Sakhi.’
The OSC will provide support to women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture will also be facilitated with support and redressal, the source said.
Aggrieved women facing any kind of violence due to attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honour related crimes, acid attacks or witch-hunting who have reached out or been referred to the OSC will be provided with specialised services. Services including emergency response and rescue, medical assistance, assistance to lodge FIR, psycho-social support, counselling, legal aid and shelter will be provided to the needy women, they said.
The centrally sponsored scheme—Sakhi-was set up in the aftermath of the nationwide public outrage against 2012 Delhi gang-rape incident.
PNN
