Workshop equips doctors to aid gender-based violence survivors

Bengaluru: In a bid to raise awareness about medical assistance to survivors of gender-based violence, charitable women’s trust Aweksha, in collaboration with the Directorate of Medical Education, Karnataka, organised a gender sensitisation programme for 55 doctors across the state on Saturday. 

Titled ‘Enhancing access and medical assistance for survivors of gender-based violence’, the workshop held at the PMSSY Auditorium on the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) campus explored how casualty medical officers (CMOs) can sensitively offer medical care for victims of gender-based violence. 

Dr S Venkata Raghava, Joint Director, Directorate of Medical Education, the chief guest at the event, noted that CMOs are often responsible for recording medicolegal cases in the absence of a clinical forensic medicine unit in their hospitals. “Such seminars will help CMOs keep themselves updated about the legalities in medicolegal cases,” he said. 

Dr Jagadeesh Narayana Reddy, Vice Principal, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, delivered the keynote address on the legal and ethical responsibilities of CMOs and the best practices they must adopt. 

Breaking down definitions of sex and gender, he emphasised that access to quality healthcare depended on understanding and addressing “socio-cultural barriers limiting vulnerable populations, including women, from availing health services”. 

Dr Chethana from the Department of Psychiatry, Nimhans, informed CMOs about mental health resources they can utilise and highlighted how traumatic brain injuries are a common sign of domestic and intimate partner violence.