Dr Mansoor Ali
SEETHALAYAM – A project by the Department of Homoeopathy, Government of Kerala – Homoeopathy helps the victims of gender-based violence
Health Minister inaugurated the project on 6th December 2010 at Trivandrum
Seethalayam (Women Health Care Centre) is the new scheme of Department of Homoeopathy to handle the gender based issues.
AIM
Seethalayam is envisaged to provide medical, psychological, legal and social support to women suffering from domestic and social violence.
Centers
In the first phase department starting 3 districts at selected hospitals in
Thiruvananthapuram
Kottaym
Kozhokode
Fund
The project has a budgetary support of Rs.48 lakh. It provides for the training of doctors and nurses in preventing gender-based violence and handling such cases
Each Centre is equipped with
Two female Homeopathic Doctors
Psychologist
Female nurse
Homeopathic Softwares
IP facility
Gender based violence
The level of gender-based violence that women and girls are encountering has recently increased to alarming proportions
Gender based violence includes a wide range of violations of women’s human rights, including pornography, trafficking in women, rape and wife abuse, and issues of “structural violence” such as lack of access to schooling, education and resources.
Gender-based Violence Throughout the Life Cycle
Prenatal Sex : selective abortion, battering during pregnancy (emotional and physical effects on women; effects on birth outcome)
Infancy : Female infanticide, emotional and physical abuse; differential access to food and medical care for girl infants.
Childhood : Child marriage, genital mutilation; sexual abuse by family members and strangers; differential access to food and medical care; child prostitution.
Adolescence : Dating and courtship violence, sexual abuse in the workplace; rape; sexual harassment; forced prostitution; trafficking in women.
Reproductive : Abuse of women by intimate male partners; marital rape; dowry abuse and murders; partner homicide; psychological abuse; sexual abuse in the workplace; sexual harassment; rape; abuse of women with disabilities.
Old Age : Abuse of widows, elder abuse
Seethalayam Provides
Counseling services and medical and legal assistance for victims of gender-based violence
The centre have a Homoeopathic medical officer, woman counselor, legal experts, police and social welfare organizations to provide legal assistance for the victims.
The centre also give information about various state & national schemes related to girl & women.
Psychosocial Care
Survivors of sexual violence commonly feel fear, guilt, shame and anger. They may adopt strong defense mechanisms that include forgetting, denial and deep repression of the events. Reactions vary from minor depression, grief, anxiety, phobia, and somatic problems to serious and chronic mental conditions.
Extreme reactions to sexual violence may result in suicide or, in the case of pregnancy, physical abandonment or elimination of the child.
Children and youth are especially vulnerable to trauma. Health care providers, relief workers and protection officers should devote special attention to their psychosocial needs.
Survivors should be treated with empathy, care and support. In the long term, and in most cultural settings, the support of family and friends is likely to be the most important factor in overcoming the trauma of sexual violence.
Role of Homoeopathy
Homoeopathic doctors are well versed in the counselling, legal,preventive and social aspects of health as is evident from their syllabus prescribed by CCH (Central Council of Homoeopathy).Moreover BHMS syllabus has been integrated with aspects of modern medicine like Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology,FMT, Medicine, Surgery, ENT, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Geriatric Care, Psychiatry etc.. Preventive and social medicine (Community Health)is a full fledge subject in the 4th professional of BHMS curriculum, which includes training on all aspects of Public Health like Personal Hygiene, Nutrition, School Health Services, Biostatistics, National Health Programmes, MCH care, Adolescent health, Occupational health etc.
For sensitizing the homeopathic doctors to handle such cases and prepare them for handling these diverse issues successfully the department conducting a training programme for 3 days on 6,7 and 8th of December 2010 at Trivandrum. Handbooks and training modules had been developed for doctors and nurses.
This workshop will provide
- Development of specific protocols on domestic violence highlighting clinical profiles of victims; referral systems; screening questions and legal information.
- Training of staff to enable them to acquire skills in counselling, examining victims and collecting legal evidence for prosecution
- Efforts incorporating such protocols and training related to all forms of genderbased violence
- Incorporation of gender-based violence as a topic in the homeopathic curriculum
- Establishment of partnerships with community-based experts and resource persons involved in gender-based violence programmes and services.
For more details :
Dr.Jemuna
Director of Homoeopathy
Directorate of Homoeopathy, Govt. of Kerala
East Fort, Thiruvanathapuram.695023, Kerala.
Email : directorhomoeokerala@yahoo.in
Mob : +91 9447170342
Web : www.homoeopathy.kerala.gov.in
deviation of sexual problems any medicine are there tell me madam
Congratulations. You have given a very good account of SEETHALAYAM project which is an excellent project exploiting the scope of Homoeopathy in its full. JYOTHIRGAMAYA is another program under the Departm,ent of Homoeopathy, Govt: of Kerala aiming the teenage population in schools. Such projects are required to help the mankind in these areas where other systems of medicine are inept of helpless.
It is high time that homoeopathy offers good clinical care to gender based violence on children & women for, most of the suicides, homicides, marital separations, neurotic $ even psychotic disorders, learning disorders have a strong base of sexual $ emotional abuse.