'Free treatment for acid attack victims in Delhi's private hospitals', says DCW chief Swati Maliwal

New Delhi: The Delhi government will provide free treatment to victims of acid attack in private hospitals across the national capital.

"Acid attack victims will be provided free treatment in private hospitals by the Delhi government. The Health Minister has appointed his OSD as the nodal authority to coordinate the treatment of 35 victims," Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said.

Maliwal along with five acid attack victims on Thursday met Health Minister Satyendra Jain and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to discuss their issues.

"The meeting comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court's direction on April 11 to private hospitals to bear the full cost of medical treatment of acid attack survivors, including costly plastic and corrective surgeries," a DCW statement said.

"Their treatments are going on a daily basis and many of them have spent a lot of money on that. So the aim is to provide them free treatment in the best hospitals," Maliwal said.

She said a task force will be set up to monitor their treatment and to take steps to prevent such incidents.

Jain, who is also the Home Minister, has directed the DCW to submit to him a list of acid attack cases which are under trial, and said that senior and best prosecutors will fight for them.

"Many of these victims are still fighting for justice. The Home Minister has assured us that senior and best prosecutors will fight their cases," the DCW chairperson said.

On the issue of providing jobs to acid attack victims, Maliwal said they took up the matter with Sisodia following which it was decided that "DCW will work on the profiling of these victims and recommend government jobs for them as per their demands and eligibility".

In the meeting, it was also decided that the Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) shall be instructed to provide adequate condoms to the sex workers in the GB Road area.

"Also apprised Satender Jain Ji about lack of supply of condoms in GB road. He has agreed to immediately organise the same," she said on Twitter.