Even as the Health Department and local bodies claim flawless precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the plight of city’s rough sleepers who stay at vulnerable spots and public places remains the same. In the absence of any health screening mechanism, they continue to roam around public places without any protective masks, sanitisers for cleaning hands or health support to check symptoms.
The Kozhikode railway station and its premises have the highest number of rough sleepers who never care to seek the support of any shelter homes. This risky group includes children, women and elderly persons who throng bus stands and other busy streets. Some of them are also suspected of suffering from various ailments. With the closure of a number of wayside eateries following COVID-19 and bird flu scare, there are also people who even struggle to get their food.
Members of voluntary associations say the distribution of free masks and sanitisers for this vulnerable community is a basic requirement, but no one has even thought of it. If the Health Department issues a directive seeking support, organisations and individuals will be ready to take up the challenge, they point out.
Meanwhile, some of the voluntary organisations in the city are seriously considering the scope of distributing free masks and sanitisers for the use of such wanderers. The plan is to collect the required quantity of products with the support of the youth and sponsors.
Pramod Kottuli, secretary of Yuvadhara Club in Kozhikode city, says the club members will try to cover maximum areas in the city on Monday and distribute all the essential items in the morning. “We have no plan to wait for any official directives to do it. They need these articles for self-protection or at least to create better awareness among themselves to stay better,” he said.
