Many child abuse cases detected by health care facilities: Official

The Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Services Administration and the UNICEF Child Protection Programme Division held a working session with leaders of hospitals under the management of the ministry and the Hanoi Health Department to develop social work services and care for the health and protection of children in hospitals.

Speaking at the event, Asso. Prof Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, director of the department, said many cases involving child victims of violence and sexual abuse have been detected by health care facilities and punished by legal enforcement agencies.

To further enhance the protection of children and prevent violence and sexual abuse against them, the inter-sectoral coordination of relevant units and cooperation between different departments and wards within hospitals are crucial, he said.

Executive Director of the UNICEF's Child Protection Network Fund Bernadette J. Madrid presented the model of a one-stop service for child protection in hospitals in some countries.

Delegates focused their discussions on the coordination between social work services and child protection and health care in hospital, the role of the social work department in receiving and handling cases related to the child protection and health care; coordination with units outside the hospital such as public security officers and lawyers. 

Khue stressed that hospitals should come up with suitable models to improve the effort, contributing to driving back child violence and abuse./.

VNA