CM launches women's helpline at Bowring Hospital

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday inaugurated the Women’s Special Care Unit that aims to provide support to women in distress.

Siddaramaiah said the centre—set up at the Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital—would provide all help to the distressed women under one roof. At the centre, women will get help from the police, doctors, specialists, legal advisors as well as counsellors. Women would not have to run from pillar to post seeking help any more, he hoped.

Such units will be set up in five government hospitals in all. “Besides Bowring, such units have opened at the K C General and Vani Vilas hospitals,” the chief minister said. Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and Jayanagar General Hospital will get similar units shortly.

Each unit will have two or three rooms with four beds. Four nurses, two policewomen and social workers and one lawyer will be on duty in each unit.

Dr Devadass P K, director, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said that having such a unit with only female staff would not serve the purpose. “I have proposed that policewomen should also come in civil uniform and that no police vehicle be used in this task,” he added. The monetary assistance for Stree Shakti groups should be increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.

Seniors doctors from Bowring Hospital said that they had requested for a cath lab to be set up at the hospital. They also want a unit of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research on its premises. A notification has been issued for the recruitment of 58 anaesthetists, 37 senior assistant professors and 22 assistant professors.

Contract nurses in Bowring Hospital requested the chief minister to increase their wages and alleged that most of them were paid just Rs 10,000 despite working for over a decade.