KOCHI: Ever since the announcement of nation-wide lockdown, it was the homeless senior citizens in Kochi who were affected the most. Though many organisations had turned up in the first few weeks with help, it didn’t sustain for long.Although they had been rehabilitated in several city schools during the peak of pandemic spread, many of them returned to the street due to various reasons. Adding to the concern, Geetha, a 55-year-old woman, was found dead at Kaloor on Tuesday.
As these persons have constant exposure to unhygienic conditions in the time of Covid-19, many have backed out from lending a helping hand.“There are over 300 senior citizens living in city streets despite the rising number of Covid cases. The majority of them are in the high-risk age category. Luckily, none of them have contracted the virus yet. But how long will they survive without any support?” asked Noushad K A, a volunteer of Thanal Palliative and Paraplegic Care Society, an NGO working for the welfare senior and ailing citizens.
According to him, the daily expense amid the economic crisis has also forced several organisations to stay away from providing aid to the helpless souls. “We incur an expense of around `7,500 daily for providing food for everyone. It comes to around Rs 2.5 lakh per month. Many of our daily expenses are sponsored by people from all walks of life. Instead of merely receiving the amount, we also ask them to join us in distribution on the ground. Many have understood the reality of these people in that manner,” he added.
Interestingly, many of these people have adopted a different life after receiving medical aid provided by these organisations. “Many of them are battling with psychological and physical issues on the street. It is these issues that make a couple of them violent most of the time. But our society easily generalises them as drunkards and criminals. One of these stranded souls is working as a medical representative after undergoing proper medical treatment. With multiple challenges to confront now, they badly need our support these days,” added the volunteer who runs a hotel at Broadway.