By Lizzy Carr
The Permanent Secretary of Bauchi State Ministry of Health, Ali Babayo has noted that the launch of the Standards & Guidelines for the Medical Management of Victims of gender-based violence in the State will help guide healthcare providers as they attend to survivors of GBV be it rape, violence, widowhood practices.
He stated this at the launch and dissemination of the document at the Emergency Operation Centre Ministry of Health.
Babayo said anyone irrespective of gender can become a survivor of Gender-based Violence, stressing that the Medical Management of Victims of GBV will help not only healthcare providers but also other stakeholders in the fight to stop GBV in society.
The government he added recognizes the increase in reported cases of GBV which is why it established a GBV standing committee that will help provide support to victims.
“Gender-based violence has become rampant in our society and to tackle it we need various stakeholders like the Police, Ministry of women affairs, Doctors, the Judiciary, and other Agencies.
There must be a link between what one partner is doing and the other to address the issue and give the victim a sense of belonging,”
The meeting for the launch of the Standards & Guidelines is to improve the capacity, consistency, and sustainability of regulatory system support on GBV survivors’ medical management in the state.
It will also ensure coordination and collaboration, information sharing to the adoption of the best practices among Stakeholders in Bauchi State towards improving GBV survivors’ medical management.
Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary Bauchi State Ministry of Justice Aliyu Bin Idris called for synergy between medical practitioners and other agencies involved in GBV to give survivors some closure.
Giving an overview, the Gender Desk Officer State Ministry of Health Zuwaira Baba said IPAS Nigeria supported the State to develop the document.
The 120-pager document with health will help service providers to provide services to survivors when they visit.
