Several lapses in implementation of One Stop Crisis Centres says study

Study by Sruti Disability Rights Centre reveals shortcomings in One Stop Crisis Centres for women and children facing violence.

A study on One Stop Crisis Centres (OSCC), mandated to provide support and services to women and children who have experienced violence has pointed out several lapses including the absence of access to person disabled. The study was done by Sruti Disability Rights Centre on the basis of visits to ten OSCC across four states including West Bengal.

“Not all OSCC are located within the Hospital. For example OSCC in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh is near a prominent political party. Some centers work from 9 am to 5 pm though they are supported to give 24 hours service. Not a single centre has properly trained staff like psychologists or legal experts,” a press statement by Sruti Disability Rights Centre said.

Speaking at the release of the report Shampa Sengupta founder of Sruti Disability Rights Centre said that the activists visited two OSCC in West Bengal, one in South 24 Parganas and another in North 24 Parganas and both were non functional.

“Since the OSCC does not exist, how can we ask them whether they are disabled friendly or not,” Ms. Sengupta said. Observing that the OSCC do not function properly in the State, Ms. Sengupta said that this lack of awareness comes in having such centres comes at a time when the debate is raging over the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar College and Hospital.

The study was done on the OSCC in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. While the OSCC in the three other states started in 2017 in West Bengal the first OSCC came up in 2022. The report was released on December 3, which is observed as International Day of Persons with Disability.

Ms. Sengupta also a disability rights activist said that the OSCC at Bijoygarh State General Hospital which is itself defunct and the centre had a data entry operator when the activists had approached the Centre.

Jhuma Sen, a lawyer at Calcutta High Court said that OSCC was a successful model which was appreciated not only in the country but globally. Ms. Sengupta said that domestic violence is an issue of public health and the OSCC was added after the recommendation of the Usha Mehra Committee. She said that when the first OSCC came up at a Mumbai hospital it became a success.