KLH’s best kept secret is a haven for victims of abuse

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Rozana Ali was kicked and beaten so badly that she ended up with a broken nose and bruises all over her body... by her husband.
Fortunately for Rozana (not her real name), there was a safe place to go and someone to turn to, the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Hidden in a quiet corner of the hospital, it’s easy to mistake the ward for an empty store room, unless one is a staff member or a patient. Sister Kee Gaik Hoon says the ward is designed that way.
"The patient’s privacy is a top priority. We do not disclose where she is to anyone without her permission," she said. Once a patient is admitted, no one but the medical staff attending to her would know the cause of her injuries.
The ward accommodates one patient at a time. It consists of an examination room with the latest technology to collect DNA evidence, a counselling room, an interview room, a single bed and a small office for the police personnel in charge of the case.
The head of KLH’s emergency department Datuk Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah says the OSCC, set up in 1993, is an inter-agency service that manages the medical, legal and counselling needs of survivors of domestic violence. This was later extended to include rape survivors. Now, there are 114 OSCCs in major hospitals around the country.
It provides treatment, therapeutic diagnosis, pre-counselling and emotional support. It also provides crisis intervention, and if the victim requires it, legal advice and shelter.
"The nurses are trained to deal with such patients. The whole concept of the OSCC is to offer immediate help to a patient. Most importantly, we provide a comfortable, safe environment and help to deal with their trauma," he said.
Hospital staff from various disciplines, the police, medical officers from the welfare department, counsellors and non-governmental organisations work with the patients.
Upon discharge, some patients opt to go home if it is deemed safe by social workers, or go to relatives. Some must go to a shelter. The counsellors and medical social workers assigned to the case follow up and prepare medical reports when necessary.
If the patient chooses legal action, the Social Welfare Department provides legal advice and helps apply for an Interim Protection Order (IPO).
Dr Abu Hassan said countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Philippines "were very impressed with the work that we have done here. Many have sent medical delegations to visit KLH to see how the OSCC operates."
NGOs agree that the OSCC is an exceptional example of co-operation between government agencies and NGOs.
Ivy Josiah, executive director of the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), praised the centre for its effectiveness.
All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (AWAM) social worker Lai Cheng said the centre may be relatively unknown, but it has reached out to many victims of abuse.