One-Stop Centre in all 30 districts to Odisha to help women

With the opening of the One Stop Centre 'Sakhi' in Jharsuguda district on Thursday, the Odisha government completed the setting up of OSCs in all the 30 districts of the state to help distressed women.

One-Stop Centre (OSC) is a hospital-based centre to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and to facilitate immediate, emergency and non- emergency access to an integrated range of services including medical, legal and psychological and counselling support, an official said.

"These OSCs are beneficial for the women in distress to get free support services provided by the government in their respective residential districts," said Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti secretary Anu Garg.

The first such OSC was started at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar in Khurda district on October 1, 2015.

She said the aggrieved girls/ women can access the One Stop Centre by herself or with the help of any other person, through the medical facilities and through rescue by police or helpline.

Garg said the OSC are very helpful for all women affected by violence and girls below 18 years of age can also get the assistance.

The One-Stop Centre provides medical assistance, assistance in lodging an FIR by linkage with the nearest police station, assistance in lodging a DIR (Domestic Incident Report under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005) by linkage with protection officer, Psychosocial support/ counselling, Legal aid and shelter homes run by implementing agency, she said