Government doctors to be sensitised on how to handle cases falling under POCSO
CHENNAI, MARCH 29, 2019 00:00 IST
The Director of Medical Education said it was key to create awareness, given the frequency of sexual offences.
Two-day conference to bring them up to speed on guidelines
Government doctors across the State will soon be sensitised on the guidelines for examining survivors and victims of sexual offences, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In a bid to create awareness on how to identify and manage victims/survivors of sexual offences, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has planned to organise a two-day conference for doctors during June.
“This is mainly for government doctors from the level of primary health centres to government medical colleges. The focus will be on crimes against women and children, and will particularly look at child sexual abuse. We will be elaborating on the provisions of POCSO Act, and telling the doctors how to identify victims of sexual abuse, how to report cases, how to certify such cases and also what the limitations are of medical practitioners,” said A. Edwin Joe, Director of Medical Education.
A necessity
With cases of sexual offences being reported frequently from across the State, including from Chennai, it has become a necessity to sensitise doctors. Doctors should identify victims of sexual offences early to prevent the offence from being repeated, he said. “We consider this very important as many cases go unreported. If a doctor does not identify abuse during examination, there are chances that the offence is repeated and exposed after several years. This has a tremendous effect on the mental health of a child. So we will be sensitising doctors not to miss cases and pick up early,” he said.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had laid down guidelines and protocols on medico-legal care for survivors/victims of sexual violence, a doctor said. “These protocols should be followed by doctors while examining a survivor or victim. Awareness of these protocols has not reached the grassroots level; for instance, to a doctor working in a taluk hospital,” he said.
The protocols state how doctors should report, inform police, collect trace evidences and how to send samples to laboratories and get the opinions, he said. Dr. Joe added that this would be a national-level conference and would also discuss medical ethics, negligence and mental health.
Awareness of these protocols has not reached the grassroots level; for instance, to a doctor working in a taluk hospital
Doctor
CHENNAI, MARCH 29, 2019 00:00 IST
The Director of Medical Education said it was key to create awareness, given the frequency of sexual offences.
Two-day conference to bring them up to speed on guidelines
Government doctors across the State will soon be sensitised on the guidelines for examining survivors and victims of sexual offences, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In a bid to create awareness on how to identify and manage victims/survivors of sexual offences, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has planned to organise a two-day conference for doctors during June.
“This is mainly for government doctors from the level of primary health centres to government medical colleges. The focus will be on crimes against women and children, and will particularly look at child sexual abuse. We will be elaborating on the provisions of POCSO Act, and telling the doctors how to identify victims of sexual abuse, how to report cases, how to certify such cases and also what the limitations are of medical practitioners,” said A. Edwin Joe, Director of Medical Education.
A necessity
With cases of sexual offences being reported frequently from across the State, including from Chennai, it has become a necessity to sensitise doctors. Doctors should identify victims of sexual offences early to prevent the offence from being repeated, he said. “We consider this very important as many cases go unreported. If a doctor does not identify abuse during examination, there are chances that the offence is repeated and exposed after several years. This has a tremendous effect on the mental health of a child. So we will be sensitising doctors not to miss cases and pick up early,” he said.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had laid down guidelines and protocols on medico-legal care for survivors/victims of sexual violence, a doctor said. “These protocols should be followed by doctors while examining a survivor or victim. Awareness of these protocols has not reached the grassroots level; for instance, to a doctor working in a taluk hospital,” he said.
The protocols state how doctors should report, inform police, collect trace evidences and how to send samples to laboratories and get the opinions, he said. Dr. Joe added that this would be a national-level conference and would also discuss medical ethics, negligence and mental health.
Awareness of these protocols has not reached the grassroots level; for instance, to a doctor working in a taluk hospital
Doctor
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