Treat acid attack, rape victims for free: Delhi govt to hospital

All the government and private hospitals in the national capital have been directed to provide "immediate and free" medical treatment to the victims of acid attack or rape.

Special Secretary of the Health Department of Delhi government, S B Shashank, issued a circular in this regard to all the medical superintendents of all the hospitals in the national capital along with the president of the Delhi Medical
Association.

Hospitals can't refuse treatment to the victims of acid attack (which falls under section 326 of Indian Penal Code)
and of rape (under section 376 of IPC).

"Directors/medical superintendents of all hospitals, including those under the private management, within the national capital territory are hereby required to take note and ensure free medical treatment to any victims of offence covered under sections 326A, 376, 376A, 376B, 376C, 376D or 376F of the IPC and to simultaneously inform the incident to police," the circular reads.

As per the circular, the order has to be implied by all the government, private hospital and nursing homes.

The circular clearly states that no acid attack or rape victim can be denied treatment if taken to a particular hospital citing it is a police case.

If the concerned hospital does not have the advanced medical facilities for treatment in such cases, they should refer it to other hospitals after giving the primary aid.

"... duty is cast on every hospital management that no victims of acid attack will be returned without providing the victim first aid or immediate medical treatment, free of cost," it further states.

"Such cases of acid attack or rape become a medico-legal case and thus the victim is directly taken to a government hospital even if it is far away from the spot of the incident, leading to a delay in the treatment causing further deterioration in the condition of the victim," said an official.