THANJAVUR: In a first of its kind initiative in the country, Tamil Nadu is building short-stay homes on hospital premises. The facilities, being built under the Scheme for the Shelter for the Homeless is funded by the Union government under the National Urban Livelihood mission.
The short-stay home has come as a boon to attendants of patients admitted in government hospitals as they henceforth need not worry about looking for accommodation to spend the night.
Talking to Express R S Krishnan, Assistant Project Officer of Commissionerate of Municipal Administration, Chennai, said during the last four years a total of 184 Shelter for Urban Homeless were sanctioned for the State by the Union Government. “Out of 184, so far 106 are functioning and others are coming up in the state”, he added. Fifteen districts have so far been covered under the scheme. Of the 106 Shelter for Homeless functioning in the State, six are special short stay homes.
He added a special night shelter with a capacity to accommodate 200 persons is coming up in the premises of Thanjavur Medical college hospital.
Earlier in the day, Krishnan inspected the first ever Shelter for Urban Homeless in Thanjavur city located at Manambuchavadi. The home, which was opened in April 2017, is designed to accommodate 50 persons, but only around 30 persons are using it.