Special units at govt hospitals for rape victims

The State government will set up special treatment units for women who are victims of atrocities, at all 30 district hospitals in the State.

Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader said on Thursday that victims of atrocities can lodge complaint, get medical treatment, counselling and legal aid at these special units. He said attempts were on to ensure cooperation from Home, Health and Family Welfare, Law, Medical Education and Women and Child Welfare departments in setting up special units.

Earlier, it was planned to set up these units in the five government hospitals in Bangalore.

Khader also said that his department would set up a three-member committee of gynaecologists to look into medical tests on rape victims.

“The present tests are very humiliating. We are looking at ways and means to ensure that there is a more advanced and better practice to conduct medical tests on a rape victim. The committee will submit the report in one or two months after which the recommendations will be implemented in all our hospitals,” he said.

Meanwhile, Women and Child Welfare Minister Umashree has written to Home Minister K J George and Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi to invoke the Goonda Act against V R Bhat, who had threatened to rape a social activist on a social media. 
Later, he had tendered an apology to her on Facebook.