HCM City on May 28 launches three new hospital-based one-stop service centres for supporting women and children affected by violence and abuse. — Photo hanoimoi.vn

HCM CITY — Three new one-stop service centres for supporting women and children affected by violence and abuse were officially launched on Wednesday (May 28) at three hospitals in HCM City.

The centres are located at Children’s Hospital 1 in District 10, HCM City’s Children’s Hospital in Bình Chánh District, and the HCM City Orthopaedic and Trauma Hospital in District 5.

This model, funded by the city’s budget, offers medical care and psychological and legal counselling.

It performs the functions of receiving, screening, treating, consulting, and providing on-site services to patients who are women and children subject to violence and sexual abuse.

Vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Dũng said that as the most populous city in the country, HCM City faces complex gender-based violence issues.

The city has issued and implemented multiple policies and intervention programmes.

The new one-stop service centres at these three hospitals are intended to provide timely and quality services for women, children, and other vulnerable groups affected by violence, ensuring that no one is left behind in the city’s development process.

Hundreds of women and children are victims of violence and sexual abuse.

In 2023, the city established and operated its first one-stop service centre called “Bồ Công Anh” at Hùng Vương Hospital in District 5.

This piloted model offers comprehensive support services for women and children who are victims of violence and abuse, in line with current state policies.

Instead of navigating through multiple agencies, victims can access a single location for timely, appropriate, and confidential assistance.

In just two years of operation, the model has provided support and timely intervention to 224 cases involving women, adolescent girls, and children who were victims of violence and sexual abuse.

Of these cases, 194 out of 224 were cases involving girls under 16 years old who became pregnant and gave birth, accounting for 86.6 per cent of all child-parenting cases.

During the same period, Hùng Vương Hospital also recorded 1,009 additional cases of examination and treatment, including 798 child-parenting cases and 211 adolescents seeking family planning services, who did not use the services of the model for various reasons.

From its operations, Bồ Công Anh has painted a partial picture of gender-based violence in the city, where most victims are women and girls, and most perpetrators are men.

In some cases, victims suffer from multi-layered abuse inflicted by multiple family members.

The model also demonstrated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach, focusing not only on victim support but also on promoting intervention strategies targeting male perpetrators.

With the newly implemented one-stop centres, patients visiting Children’s Hospital 1, Children’s Hospital City, and the HCM City Orthopaedics and Traumatology Hospital (entry points to the model) will be screened during their medical examination. If signs of violence or abuse are detected, they will be referred to the hospital’s One-Stop Service Room.

Staff there will coordinate with the Social Work and Youth Vocational Training Centre of HCM City (exit point of the model) in Gò Vấp District and relevant specialised agencies to provide integrated services through a single contact point for the patient and their family.

The model also organises case meetings with stakeholders for interviewing, psychological counselling, legal advice, and healthcare for victims, while supporting the family’s stabilisation and managing follow-up in the community.

If emergency shelter is needed, the victim will be transferred to the exit point of the model.

Victims of violence, abuse, or unintended pregnancy will receive services such as healthcare, nurturing, therapeutic intervention, and connection to other essential services as per current government policies.

In addition, coordination with local authorities helps support the victim’s reintegration and stable life within the community.

Victims needing assistance can call the model’s hotline at 1900 54 55 59 (available 24/7) or go directly to the one-stop service rooms at the four hospitals. — VNS