NEW DELHI: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Tuesday asked the Delhi government's department of health and family welfare to curb delays in conducting medico-legal case (MLC) examination of sexual assault survivors in government hospitals. The commission also highlighted the lack of One Stop Centres (OSC) at many hospitals.
"Every day, around six rapes are reported in the capital. Considering the alarming number of crimes as well as the extent of trauma faced by sexual assault survivors, the support systems for survivors must be urgently strengthened. However, the commission has observed that OSCs in government hospitals are not functioning properly, leading to significant delays in conducting the MLC examination in government hospitals in Delhi," claimed DCW in its statement.
The panel further claimed that there were five stages where the survivors usually faced delays during their MLC. "These were at the emergency room, while conducting UPT test of the survivor, while waiting for the gynaecologist, while sealing samples and during the documentation process," stated DCW.
The commission has recommended that the survivors be allowed to approach OSC directly. Among other recommendations are reducing delay in UPT tests, gynaecologists attending to rape survivors without any delay, sealing of samples during the MLC process itself and quick documentation process by the doctors.
The health department has been asked to provide a report in the matter within 30 days.
DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said, "Sexual assault survivors suffer tremendously due to the ordeal they have been subjected to. It is unacceptable that they have to wait for over 6 hours for getting their MLC done..."
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