BENGALURU: Muktha Centre, an initiative started in 2021 to report cases of spousal violence and establish a health system response in hospitals, identified 4,000 patients who suffered from violence till July 2023.
The Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT), in association with the National Health Mission (NHM), started the centres in seven states across India, including Karnataka. Four hospitals in Bengaluru -- KC General Hospital, Jayanagar General Hospital, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Gosha HSIS Hospital -- and Chikkaballapur District Hospital have functional Mukhta Centres.
Madhura M Khanapur, an ophthalmologist at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital who is also the nodal officer for Mukhta Centre housed in the hospital premises, explained that healthcare professionals play a crucial role in identifying such cases early on as they are sensitised to understand if a patient has undergone violence or has any symptoms indicating assault. A doctor can understand if a bruise, pain in the abdomen, severe headache or a cut on the body is a medical condition or a result of violence/assault among women.
In one such incident, a woman had walked into her cabin with bruises around her eyes. Doctors suspected it to be a case of violence and even enquired about the cause of the bruise. However, the woman lied, saying she had been hurt by something “while doing household chores”. It was only when Khanapur probed a little further that the woman shared that her husband had hit her, causing the bruises.
A Muktha report explaining the Karnataka experience, released earlier this year, found that roughly one in four women seeking counselling services were in the ages of 18-25 years. It indicates potential for early identification of violence in health settings and reduces the intensity/frequency of violence if the woman is offered timely support. The report also noted that 44 per cent women in Karnataka had reportedly experienced spousal violence which was higher than the national standards.
So far, 200 doctors, 358 nurses and 169 Group D employees have been educated and trained to ensure timely intervention in cases of violence against women. Prarthana Appaiah of CEHAT also highlighted that the medical curriculum does not include violence, while studying poor health outcomes. Usually, they clinically treat them and do not probe much into personal matters. However, with the Mukhta initiative, victims of domestic or sexual violence were able to come forward and get counselled and seek additional help if required. The help can be related to providing emergency shelter and providing legal help in cases of separation.