Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today announced a number of measures his ministry intends to take to deal with cases of women suffering rape and abuse, which have triggered nationwide outrage.
He said the government will put at the disposal of hospital officials a special fund to meet all medico-legal needs of victims and this will also cover the stay and costs of travel of the family members of victims.
He was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and film star Aamir Khan.
"I am much impressed by this (OSCC) collaborative effort in Bhopal between a government and NGO. I assure you that this will become a model for the rest of the country and especially in the national capital where the attitude of those authorised to deal with victims of abuse leaves much to be desired", he said.
Noting that specific rules and protocols exist to deal with such woman victims, there is no "drive" among officials to enforce them.
In this regard, he made a mention of rules banning a test banned by the Supreme Court.
"We will introduce punitive clauses so that officials disobeying protocol are suspended," he said.
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