Some in city reach out to help the destitute when most pass them by
CHENNAI: They are outside swanky malls, theatres, on railway platforms
and even sometimes right outside our doorstep, but they attract a few
hearts. The city has thousands of destitute and homeless people, but a
few to help them.
On Saturday, a motley group of individuals gathered at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children to get first aid training to rescue mentally challenged and homeless people. While one of the participants is a conductor with Metropolitan Transport Corporation, another is a teacher in a government-aided school. And all of them work in their individual capacity.
On Saturday, a motley group of individuals gathered at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children to get first aid training to rescue mentally challenged and homeless people. While one of the participants is a conductor with Metropolitan Transport Corporation, another is a teacher in a government-aided school. And all of them work in their individual capacity.
"I started off with getting their hair cut, nails trimmed and making
them bath. As I have been doing this for years, I never felt a sense of
end to what I do," said Sri Priya, a schoolteacher from Elephant Gate in
north Chennai. "Though the government provides medical treatment to the
homeless, we urgently need more rehabilitation centres," she said.
The group members volunteer at the 1253 call centre at the police commissioner's office in Egmore. "We get at least four calls a day about a homeless person being spotted. We immediately rush to the spot and get a memo from the local police before taking them to a rehabilitation home," said S M Venkatesh, a volunteer with the Indian Red Cross Society. The 1253 helpline has also given these volunteers a platform to meet and exchange ideas.
The state-sponsored 108 ambulance facility, run by GVK-EMRI, receives about 120 calls a month. Most of the calls inform about people found on NSC Bose Road, as it is close to the Central and Egmore railway Stations, and Madras Medical College.
"In the area, we have even found people from as far as Kolkata and Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal," said S Rani, another volunteer. In February, Rani took Aladhi, 45, who was found roaming around near Chennai Central, back to Kolkata where she came from.
The All Bengal Women's Union, an NGO, took her in their custody and promised to find Aladhi's family. "Southern Railway too helped us get berth in train. But the journey was very difficult as she ran away in Nellore. It was nightmare to get her back," she said.
Chennai's autorickshaw drivers, who are notorious for their unreasonable fares and arrogant behaviour, are often the saviors of the day. "No one is willing to transport someone who is dirty and has deep wounds. But there are many autorickshaw drivers who come forward to help," said S G Ganesan, a volunteer.
According to the latest survey by the Corporation of Chennai, the city has 2,586 homeless families with a total number of 11,116 homeless people. Of them, around 1,864 families live on streets around NSC Bose Road.
The group members volunteer at the 1253 call centre at the police commissioner's office in Egmore. "We get at least four calls a day about a homeless person being spotted. We immediately rush to the spot and get a memo from the local police before taking them to a rehabilitation home," said S M Venkatesh, a volunteer with the Indian Red Cross Society. The 1253 helpline has also given these volunteers a platform to meet and exchange ideas.
The state-sponsored 108 ambulance facility, run by GVK-EMRI, receives about 120 calls a month. Most of the calls inform about people found on NSC Bose Road, as it is close to the Central and Egmore railway Stations, and Madras Medical College.
"In the area, we have even found people from as far as Kolkata and Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal," said S Rani, another volunteer. In February, Rani took Aladhi, 45, who was found roaming around near Chennai Central, back to Kolkata where she came from.
The All Bengal Women's Union, an NGO, took her in their custody and promised to find Aladhi's family. "Southern Railway too helped us get berth in train. But the journey was very difficult as she ran away in Nellore. It was nightmare to get her back," she said.
Chennai's autorickshaw drivers, who are notorious for their unreasonable fares and arrogant behaviour, are often the saviors of the day. "No one is willing to transport someone who is dirty and has deep wounds. But there are many autorickshaw drivers who come forward to help," said S G Ganesan, a volunteer.
According to the latest survey by the Corporation of Chennai, the city has 2,586 homeless families with a total number of 11,116 homeless people. Of them, around 1,864 families live on streets around NSC Bose Road.
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