Group Tasks Health Workers On Gender-Based Violence

Health workers handling cases of gender based violence, such as rape have been charged to be guided by ethics of the medical profession while discharging their duties.
The charge was given recently in Yenagoa, Baye1sa State by Dr Nabie Francis during a training of health workers on gender based violence responses organised by Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
Francis noted that without observing the ethics of medical profession, the health workers might only end up worsening the conditions of these victims psychologically.
According to the medical expert who also heads the Rural Health and Community Development unit of CEHRD, victims and survivors of rape, sexual violence and other forms of gender targeted violence are already traumatised by their ugly experiences and should therefore, be treated with empathy, sympathy and assurance of confidentiality,
He lamented that some health workers were often so careless and unprofessional to the extent that they reveal the identities of victims to other people, thereby exposing them to public ridicule and stigma.