Don’t pay fees at public health facilities - Domestic violence victims told
Victims of domestic violence have been urged not to pay for their expenses when they access medical services from public health facilities with police forms.
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By the Domestic Violence Act 732 (2007), medical officers are enjoined to treat victims of domestic violence free.
The issue of domestic violence victims paying for medical services in some public hospitals came up for discusion at a stakeholders meeting held to validate the protocol on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and a codified handbook in Accra.
The meeting was organised by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to facilitate the development of the codified handbook and protocol into a standard in managing cases of sexual and gender-based violence.
The protocol and codified handbook would among others enhance the knowledge of officers who handle cases of sexual and gender-based violence on the laws regarding such cases, including the codes of conduct, pre-investigation procedures, how to manage crime scenes and handle exhibits, building case dockets and following court processes.
Charges
At the opening of the meeting, the National Coordinator of DOVVSU, Chief Superintendent of Police, Rev. Mrs Lawrencia Akorli, said victims who visited medical centres with police medical forms and were accompanied by case officers should not pay for the cost of treatment.
In spite of this, it has come to light that victims of domestic violence are charged GH¢200 and more before they are attended to.
Participants in the meeting, including officers from DOVVSU, shared their experiences regarding the charges they were made to pay at hospitals and clinics on cases of domestic violence and the non-issuance of receipts thereof.
The officers claimed that some medical officers took money with the explanation that it was to cover transportation costs if they were to testify at court.
It was also made known that victims of domestic violence paid for medical services because case officers did not accompany them to the hospital but only gave them the forms to attend hospital.
Fees
In the view of an Executive Secretary of the Domestic Violence Secretariat at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Malonin Asibi, victims were already traumatised and vulnerable and "we must not put such impediments or barriers in their way”.
Under the law, a board was to be set up to secure funds to support victims of domestic violence, however the board was yet to be established.
Ms Asibi said the ministry was working at establishing the board.
Handbook
A consultant, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Felix Mawusi (retd), who wrote the protocol and codified hand- book, said the book would among other things, contribute to improving the management of cases of sexual and gender-based violence from investigation to prosecution.
Another consultant, Superintendent Francis Baah, said since the Ghana Police Service was usually the first institution to be contacted by victims of crime and those who witnessed a crime, it had the responsibility to ensure that crime victims were not doubly victimised.
