Mangaluru: Nagalakshmi Choudhary, chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women (KSCW), expressed concern on Saturday about the gynaecologist and anaesthesiologist posts lying vacant at Bantwal taluk hospital.She told reporters that the number of deliveries at the hospital had dropped to 4–5 a month due to the vacancies. Calling the low numbers “a worrying sign”, she said that filling the posts would increase the number of delivery cases. “I directed officials to fill the vacancies as soon as possible. Currently, the majority of delivery cases are referred to Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru,” she said.Despite adequate medicine stock at the hospital pharmacy, the pharmacist reportedly asked a woman to buy medicines from a private shop, she noted.Choudhary, who held a Mahila Spandana grievance meeting, said she had directed the Mangaluru City Police to act against the inspector of the Kavoor police station for allegedly not behaving politely towards a woman. “A woman complained during the grievance meeting about the inspector. The ACP said a notice had already been served on the inspector. However, I directed the ACP to submit a report after taking appropriate action. Further, I requested the City police to hold a gender-sensitisation workshop for police personnel,” she said.On complaints from fisherwomen at the State Bank fish market, she said the rent at the newly built, centrally air-conditioned Central Market was too high. “Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner was asked to consider reducing the rent,” she said.Students of the post-matric hostel at Madyar complained about the lack of bus facilities. Of the 38 complaints received, most were resolved on the spot.Choudhary said that although Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) are mandatory in workplaces, only more than 600 establishments had uploaded ICC details on the She-Box portal in Dakshina Kannada, which has more than 3,000 institutions. “I directed the deputy commissioner to ensure compliance with the rule,” she said.Commission to open call centre at B’luruChoudhary said the commission planned to set up a 24×7 call centre at its Bengaluru head office to address the grievances of women in distress. “We want to introduce a new complaint management system that would allow women to complain through WhatsApp and track the status too. We sought funds from the govt for the proposal,” she said.She added that the commission would provide financial assistance if any university conducted a study on domestic violence linked to alcoholism.
