Chennai: Last July, the State health department issued a government order under which guidelines and examination proforma for medico-legal cases and victims of sexual violence were forwarded for adherence.The order clearly states that “sexual assault survivors and victims cannot be denied treatment in a hospital, whether private or Government. It is thus a mandatory obligation…The Secretary has requested to adopt the guidelines in all hospitals in the State.” The order has also only been sent out to heads of government institutions and projects. What about private hospitals then?
Senior officials of the health department admit that this needs to be rectified. “We will write to the Indian Medical Association and other private bodies to ensure all private hospitals too, follow this law. This will be done as soon as possible,” an official clarifies. |
