Draft burns policy gathers dust as victims struggle to make ends meet

Table

It’s a busy hour at the burns ward in Victoria Hospital as nurses are washing the victims’ wounds and getting them dressed ahead of doctors’ visit.

One of the victims Saraswathi (name changed) is reminded of the time when she was brought in for treatment after her husband set her afire by pouring kerosene on her.

“He had an affair. When I questioned him, he got angry and set me afire. At that time, my right shoulder was already dislocated after an accident. I couldn’t even pour water to save myself. Thankfully, my neighbours rushed me to the hospital on time,” she recalls.

Today, 16 years after this incident, Saraswathi, 42, is still struggling to make ends meet.

Married at the age of 13, she didn’t have many options for employment. Her husband, a mason, initially apologised to her to ensure that no case was registered against him. “Very soon, he abandoned me saying he found me ugly after the burns.” While she convinced her husband to take care of her son, she raised her daughter by taking up odd jobs.

Victoria Hospital alone sees about 200 burns admissions every month, majority of which are women, according to doctors here.

According to data compiled by Aweksha, a city-based NGO working to rehabilitate burns victims, there have been 661 cases of burns admissions of women in Victoria Hospital between 2019 and 2021, of which 367 died.

In 2017, the Health Department led by the then minister K R Ramesh Kumar, had mooted a “Burns Policy” that highlighted the importance of timely medical treatment, victim compensation, legal action against the offender, apart from focusing on larger issues of evidence collection, dying declaration of victims, skilling and employment of victims, among others.

“Considering that burns cases are related to domestic violence, we had come up with strong recommendations. We wanted to ensure that the victims get timely and effective treatment in government hospitals,” Kumar, also a former speaker, told DH. The draft policy was compiled by activists from women’s rights organisation Vimochana.

The draft policy has gathered dust over the years.

A majority of burns cases go unregistered as victims are coerced to withdraw complaints.

Most of them get registered as accidental stove bursts, points out activist Donna Fernandes, emphasising the importance of the policy. Fernandes, who leads Aweksha, spearheaded drafting the burns policy. “Burns victims are deprived of victim compensation as they don’t register cases. Also, for them to get recognised under the Disability Act, they need to have sustained burns above 40%. This needs to change as these victims are in dire need of financial support from the government. There is also a need to improve medical assistance for burns victims in hospitals, apart from adequate legal support,” she says.

While all district hospitals have burns wards, these need to be equipped with both staff and facilities, activists and medical professionals point out.

Dr K T Ramesh, HoD, Plastic Surgery, Victoria Hospital, who was also part of drafting the policy, adds that burns victims need comprehensive treatment which includes medical aid, physiotherapy and psychological counselling.

In an effort to revive the burns policy, Aweksha is in the process of updating the draft to be submitted to the government. Women & Child Development Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis told DH that her department would hold consultations once the draft is presented to them.

Check out the latest DH videos here: