The Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) on Monday wrote to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) seeking urgent measures for conducting health check-ups and sanitisation drives in and around shelter homes to contain the spread of COVID-19 among the homeless and destitute people residing there.
Stating that central Delhi had a high concentration of homeless people living on the streets, the CHD said that mass awareness camps and special medical vans and health camps at shelter homes should be arranged.
“The government has been using mostly virtual mediums to spread information. Most of the homeless community are illiterate and do not use mobile phones or radios. This limits their access to information about the pandemic. Government should ensure community based direct information campaigns to bridge the information gap,” read the letter.
The letter also read, “Geeta Ghat to Loheka pul has been identified by the Rajan Babu TB hospital as a high-risk zone. People have been living without proper health services and nutritious food which has deteriorated their already poor health condition leading to death. Special medical vans and health camps at shelter homes or detention centre for homeless should be arranged for.”
The organisation also demanded that a thorough investigation of the cause of deaths taking place at shelter homes are carried out.
