DILASA - Crisis Centre for treatment and counselling of women victims of violence in a public hospital

With the aim to sensitise the public health system to gender and violence issues, CEHAT and the Public Health Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have established Dilaasa at K B Bhabha Hospital, Bandra West.

Dilaasa means Reassurance and it seeks to provide social and psychological support to women survivors of domestic violence.

Dilaasa believes that every woman has a right to a safe home, right to a life without violence. There is no excuse to domestic violence.

Objectives:
1. Provide social and psychological support to women coming to the centre.
2. Sensitise the hospital staff to gender and violence issues.
3. Train the hospital staff of the casualty and various out patient departments in identifying women facing domestic violence.
4. Create a training cell in the hospital which would train the other staff of the hospital.
6. Network with other organisations working on women's issues for mutual support and sharing.

Services:
1. Counselling: Trained counsellors help women to build their strength so that they can rebuild their lives.
2. Legal aid: Through our collaboration with Majlis and Lawyers Collective, we provide legal aid to women. Lawyers are available twice a week at the centre.
3. Temporary shelter: There is provision for temporary shelter for a short period at two shelters in the city. The hospital also provide 24 hour shelter under medical observation.

Activities:
1. Training: is one of the ongoing activities of the centre. The hospital staff is being sensitised to gender issues so that they are able to screen women survivors of domestic violence and refer them to the centre. A group of hospital staff has been trained as key trainers. A core group of 12 has emerged as the training cell of the hospital. They are now conducting training for the rest of the hospital staff. The core group also has intensive discussions/debates and mock sessions to review their role and develop further as trainers.
2. Research: A few short studies were conducted in the initial phase to understand the hospital systems and procedures. Every year we would analyse the counselling process based on the case records of the women registered at Dilaasa.'
3. Documentation: Every activity of the centre and its processes are being documented to enable us to evaluate the work of the centre.
4. Networking: We are networking with women's organisations, legal aid agencies, shelters and other groups working with women survivors of domestic violence for mutual support, referral and sharing.