India, July 21 -- Even as the city is all set to get its second One-Stop Centre (OSC), a central government scheme to help victims of gender-based violence, the first centre at KEM Hospital at Parel is struggling to survive.

The OSC, set up seven years ago in collaboration with the NGO 'Sneha', has been functioning with a very sparse staff and resources after the state government decided to take it over entirely a couple of months ago. After Sneha left in April, the OSC has been running with a skeletal staff of three persons instead of the requisite 12 and has also stopped operating round the clock since it is now entirely managed by just one counsellor.

The shortfall has also led to cases falling by two-thirds. While the centre handled...