MUMBAI, 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 an average of 110 cases per month earlier, it barely managed 33 in June as per hospital sources. These included 19 cases of domestic violence, five cases of violence against children, three cases of sexual violence against women, four cases of missing women/ children and five cases of women who needed shelter. "While we should be having at least four counsellors, we currently manage with just one. Bring so short-staffed, we are unable to do full justice to the cases," rued a KEM source. KEM Hospital said it would inform the government that Sneha needed to be part of the OSC. "Apart from better supervision of the project, it will ensure better pay for staffers, particularly the counsellors," said KEM Hospital dean Dr Harish Pathak. "While the state pays about Rs 20,000 per head for counsellors, NGO Sneha could help top it up with another Rs 15,000 with the help of CSR funding. This is also true for other aspects of OSC functioning." Sneha has been involved with the project since 2019 when it was inaugurated by the then union health minister Smriti Irani. The OSC is a central government scheme meant to offer legal and counselling support services for victims of gender-based violence, with the Maharashtra government being the implementing agency. The equation has now changed with the central government having decided that the OSC scheme will be entirely handled by the government authorities. When contacted, Sneha refused to comment. Mumbai is now set to get its second OSC at the Cama & Albless Hospital in August. The centre has been ready for the past two months but was awaiting counselling and support staff, which will now be provided entirely by the state. "We got the completion certification two months ago," said the hospital's medical superintendent Dr Tushar Palve. "We have also earmarked six nurses and one doctor for it. The OSC will have five rooms with a bed each and another six rooms to administer services such as counselling, legal services, police staff support, a doctors' clinic and nursing staff." Cama Hospital, which has a patient intake capacity of 160 beds and over 300 patients visiting its outpatient department daily, currently handles about two to three cases of medico-legal offences against women per month, including POSCO and rape cases, which are handled at the hospital level. "Unlike regular hospital care, an OSC is very helpful as it provides counselling support beyond the hospitalisation period," said an official. "It counsels women on their rights and the available legal options. At times, the counselling is followed up with joint counselling with their partners or in-laws to help families resolve their domestic issues, thus playing an important role in preventing crimes against women."...