The Centre of Holistic Development (CHD) on Tuesday wrote to the Delhi government, highlighting the urgency to conduct COVID-19 tests among the homeless, after a night shelter caretaker tested positive.
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Stating that it was a public health crisis, the letter read, “All these shelters are general category that includes elderly homeless persons. It is extremely urgent for the government to immediately conduct free COVID tests of all the homeless who are living in these shelters.”
“Any delay in providing medical care to these homeless individuals will come at the cost of their lives and others who may come in contact with them at community toilets, ration shops, pharmacies and so on,” read the letter to the Health Department.
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Sunil Kumar Aledia of CHD said, “These government-owned shelters for our homeless and poor migrant workers should be a safe and sanitary place of residence during these unprecedented times. The night shelter in Jhandewalan, where the caretaker tested positive, has 56 inmates and is in close proximity to a containment zone.”
