In 2018, Coimbatore established SAKHI, an One Stop Crisis Centre (OSC). Now, the city is expanding its support services by opening a new centre in Pollachi within the next six months.
District Social Welfare Officer R. Ambika told The Hindu, “We are looking to secure a temporary building at the Pollachi Government Hospital, and the process of recruiting staff is under way.
Dedicated to supporting women experiencing various forms of abuse, the centre is part of a national scheme initiated by the Government of India. It offers free medical, legal, and psychological counselling as well as emergency response and rescue services.
With an annual registration of approximately 600 complaints, the centre apparently maintains a 100% redress rate. However, recognising the increasing demand, there is a pressing need for an additional centre, particularly given the high incidence of cases in Pollachi, an official from the department said.
In the current year, the centre handled 577 cases, with 46% related to family disputes, including divorce. The remaining cases are on issues such as extramarital affairs, elopement, rape threats, domestic violence, alcoholism, and online robbery scams.
“We take 10-15 days for severe cases, while others are escalated to the police after we help them lodge an FIR. But, most cases in Pollachi require more time to be resolved since it requires us to travel back and forth. This cannot be done from Coimbatore,” the official said.
In addition to this, despite being sanctioned 13 staff, including six caseworkers, the department is presently functioning with only eight members. There are open vacancies for two caseworkers and three staff positions. “Once the centre opens in Pollachi, over around 40% of the cases will be handled there,” a staff said.
At the safe house in Coimbatore, the OSC accommodates only those facing life-threatening situations or abandonment. “Typically, 10-15% of individuals need to stay in the safe house. So, along with a centre, there will also be a safe house in Pollachi to help such cases,” the official said.
