One Stop Centre doing its job

Reports have so far shown that One Stop Centre under the Ministry of Health is doing its job well and has helped in reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

One Stop Centre is an initiative that was established to bring together all stakeholders involved in assisting victims of gender-based violence and Mzuzu Central Hospital in the northern region is one of the health facilities in the country that has One Stop Centre.

Vaida Kambuzi, a senior nurse at Mzuzu Central Hospital, says One Stop Centre is serving its clients with diligence and comfort.

“Patients used to be seen in different departments. For example, a victim could go to Room 9 for physiotherapy, then pharmacy and perhaps Rainbow Clinic. It was time consuming and tiresome and a tired victim could sometimes just leave without getting all the needed treatment or attention,” explained Kambuzi to the local media.

An official at One Stop Centre at Mzuzu Central Hospital, Benjamin Gonzalimo, also told the local media that the One Stop Centre initiative has eased work for all experts needed in assisting victims of gender-based violence as they are all working under one roof.

“One Stop Centre has helped us in the social welfare to identify people who have been victimised; men, women or children. We have had awareness campaigns informing people of the existence of this centre and encouraging them to come forward whenever they have been victimised,” Gonzalimo explained.

In October alone, 66 cases of gender-based violence were registered at One Stop Centre at Mzuzu Central Hospital. Out of the 66, 38 were sexually related.

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