Acid Attack Victims to get Free Treatment, including Surgery

NEW DELHI: Acting duly on the Supreme Court’s direction regarding acid attack victims, Delhi government has now announced that all hospitals, including the private ones, will have to treat any victim of acid attack free of cost. The decision came after Delhi Commission of Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal had a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendra Jain to discuss the issue. The meeting had also included five acid attack victims.

“Acid attack victims have to undergo recurring medical treatment. The Supreme Court had directed that hospitals should provide this treatment for free. While the direction was given, it had not been implemented,” the DCW chairperson said to Indian Express.

The Apex Court had issued a direction in April this year that the cost of medicines, and even the plastic surgery for such victims will have to be borne by hospitals. It had also categorised that the hospitals refusing to treat free of cost will be subjected to stringent action. Earlier last year, it had increased the compensation for acid victims from 50,000 to 3 lakh.

Jain asked DCW to form a committee to work with health ministry to align the efforts towards rehabilitation and proper implementation of SC’s orders.

“So far we have made a commitment only for victims in Delhi and not those living outside Delhi,” said Jain.

According to Maliwal, 35 victims have already received the compensation and they’re looking out for victims who still haven’t got any of it.

Meanwhile, it was revealed by the Centre to the Court earlier, that most number of acid attack cases come from UP, out of 309 cases last year 185 were from this state alone, whereas Delhi had 27 cases.

“The Delhi government also accepted the DCW’s demand to appoint senior prosecutors for pursuing cases of acid attack victims pending in various courts. The home department will follow-up on the matter,” said a government official.