Team Herald
PANJIM: An NGO Street Providence in an application to the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane have stated that they are ready to accommodate all the homeless and house them if the State Government permits them to be part of the central scheme for urban homeless.
“Street Providence houses the homeless and people sleeping on the roadside. We have homes spread all over Goa with a capacity to accommodate 250 people.”
“We give them shelter, food, medical treatment and medicines and above all rehabilitate them. These homeless street people might be accounting for 25 to 40 per cent (based on my study and understanding) of the capacity at the morgue once they die.” said Donald Fernandes
He said, “The Central Government has a scheme for these Urban homeless. The Health Secretary of Goa is on the committee and the Chief Secretary is the Chairman.”
“The Supreme Court has asked the State Government to implement this scheme. Recently the government was fined Rs. one lakh by the Supreme Court for not implementing the scheme.”
He further said that Street Providence is ready to accommodate all the homeless and house them if the Goa Government permits Street providence to be part of the scheme.
“We are ready to help the GMC and our Health Minister by providing a much needed solution if they will implement the scheme through us by recognising our services as we are the only trust in this state picking up and rehabilitating homeless street people.” he said
Meanwhile, the NGO in the application have said that they are ready to identify, pick up and shelter in our homes more than 50 homeless per month from all government hospitals through our volunteers only and through government doctor’s recommendation. “Our application is submitted to Health Minister requesting that we be recognised for our services in picking up and rehabilitating these homeless street people and those discharged from GMC who have nowhere to go” Fernandes said.
Conversely, in the event of their demise, the NGO has informed that either cremation or burial will be done by them, once formalities are completed.
